A legend reborn sidestory
by Trugeta
Summary: That's what would have happened had Happosai's attempt to curse Ranma worked. Watch as the pigtailed Saiyan strives to overcome this latest of obstacles that'll lead him on a journey to find a way to control his powers.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: A Legend Reborn Sidestory

**Author name**: Trugeta

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Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Akira Toriyama and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story.  
Also, the OCs used in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is not intended and purely coincidental.

This story takes place after Movie 10 of Dragonball Z and at the beginning of the Ranma series. It's an AU, and reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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Chapter 1: A very rotten day**

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**A warm August sun bathed the Tendo compound with its warming rays and spoiled the residents of the Nerima district with its enjoyable warmth, and it was safe to assume that the citizens of Tokyo were making the best of this sunny day. The inhabitants of the Tendo Dojo could not care less at the moment; the surprise over what Ranma had just accomplished still sat too deeply, was too fresh to allow for the apprehension of such banalities as enjoyable weather conditions.

Ranma, their Ranma had just as good as shown up the Grandmaster of the Anything Goes, the man, who was feared like no one else by Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo. And it was true, Happosai did possess terrible might, a truly fearsome power some would even say, but the pigtailed Saiyan had stood up to him, had not bowed low to his wishes. The Tendo sisters knew very well what would likely have happened had Ranma not been around to defend their virtue; the perverted old Grandmaster would have stolen their undies from their very bodies! Maybe even worse.

Genma and their father would likely have allowed it, gauging from how fast they had bowed low to the old man. Ranma _had_ defended their honour, and he had done so in a way that made it clear as daylight that he would never bow down to Happosai; but now things did not look that good for him, and it seemed that he might just pay for his defiance of Happosai, for the old perverted Grandmaster had managed to slip one by Ranma's excellent defences, and a crippling blow nonetheless, it seemed.

Akane, who stood at the shore of the koi pond with her sisters to her sides, was scowling and had a hard time in keeping her temper in check; she wanted to see the old pervert plain beaten. Wait, make that bloody, bruised, stomped on and then beaten. Nowadays she was sufficiently aware of her abilities to know that she had a snowballs' chance in hell at defeating the perverted old man by herself, but she could still hope; then there was still Mallet-sama, which she could and would summon in case things turned ugly. Her trusty mallet, which did not need anger any longer to be summoned was still worth a surprise or two. Who knew, a chance shot could work wonders, and that she'd managed to replace the anger needed to summon it with a fierce determination to protect others made her proud.

The youngest Tendo sister pushed some loose strands of her dark blue hair behind her ears, happy that it had finally grown out again to some degree, and watched how Happosai taunted Ranma about being as weak as a newborn. Akane knew Ranma well enough by now, and she sensed that the pigtailed young man was not as helpless as the Grandmaster thought him to be; Happosai had no way of knowing, the hints were too subtle. A barely noticeable hint was Ranma's stance, and while it was relaxed it conveyed that he was ready to spring into action. Had he been helpless he'd have acted differently; he'd probably have ordered them to retreat so that he could use his most powerful ki-attacks instead of physical force to deal with Happosai, but he had not done so.

Akane was certain that she had heard of the Ultimate weakness Moxibustion before. She didn't know if it had been Dr. Tofu who had mentioned it or her father, but the Moxibustion sealed the physical strength away to her knowledge, which was compliant with Happosai's taunts, but was the same true for Ranma's ki? Most probably not. She remembered that Doctor Tofu had told her once that sealing away a human's ki almost completely was possible, and one had to address many a pressure point to do so. Happosai had merely burned the Moxibustion mark into Ranma's shoulder, as far as she could tell. No, Ranma was not helpless, at least not as much as he probably planned Happosai to believe. Ranma was quite devious, for a boy.

-.-

Nabiki kept her eyes trained on the going ons like a hawk, and her impassive face revealed nothing; her calm demeanour, forged from countless years of her existence as the Ice queen hid her worries perfectly. To the outside world she appeared as calm as ever, but her inside was a completely different matter.

She had always been a fiercely independent young woman and would a few weeks ago have bankrupted anyone that dared to claim she needed saving, but after Happosai's appearance she had been glad that Ranma had been there to defend her honour.

Now it seemed as if he was about to pay for it, but on closer inspection Nabiki noticed that reality seemed to have more layers to it than previously thought; always look underneath the underneath, that had been a wisdom Ranma had taught them. It was only logical and par for the course for Ranma Saotome that there was much hidden underneath the underneath where he was concerned, and the middle sister was tempted to chuckle.

All of his boasts would not help Happosai in a few, and she barely suppressed the glint that threatened to appear in her brown eyes. Her stallion was about to continue kicking the old pervert's ass, which was something that her father's master richly deserved. Nabiki congratulated herself once again to moving in on Ranma, for this confrontation proved best that her Ranma was not only strong in body, but also in mind and soul. He was indeed worthy of becoming her future husband, if, yes if he deemed her worthy of becoming his future wife.

-.-

The oldest Tendo sister whereas made no move to hide her worry, and it was plain visible in her brown eyes to everyone who looked. Kasumi's whole posture was tense and spoke of the stress she was under, her face scrunched up in a pained expression every time Ranma took a hit. She could hardly bare it that Ranma had to suffer for them as he defended their honour, but her training in the Art had made her knowledgeable enough to know that the Master of her father was lightyears ahead of any of them in skill and raw power bar Ranma.

And the young man she considered her boyfriend and (hopefully soon) more—her mouth formed an unconscious smile as this particular thought crossed her mind, erasing the worry lines for a brief moment—did very well; not only could he hold his own, no, he was matching Happosai tit for tat, occasionally even outclassing him. Kasumi watched apprehensively how the perverted old Grandmaster grew visibly and progressively more enraged; a particularly embarrassing punch that resulted in a Happosai-shaped hole in the perimeter wall proved to be the last straw, and she watched in growing dread how her father's master managed to land a seemingly decisive blow on Ranma.

Or was it? Kasumi took a closer look and surveyed her intended intently and came to a relieving conclusion that he was not as out of the fight as Happosai obviously liked to believe. She'd learned a lot about pressure points from the books she'd borrowed from Doctor Tofu over the years, and if what she believed was right Ranma's non-human physiology might be what had saved him from the effects her father's master was at present gloating about. A gradually growing smile spread on her face as her confidence in Ranma grew, a confidence that was based therein that his iron will and craftiness would be suffice to spring the trap on the old pervert. While she was still not a very confrontational person she was of the firm opinion that Happosai did deserve what was coming for him.

-.-

And it came. Ranma's fist met the point of the chin of the perverted old Grandmaster with a resounding smack, the force behind the blow sending the old man through the wall yet another time. Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane spontaneously expressed their elation and relief in a three-way-hug, and their relaxed postures conveyed that heavy burdens had been lifted from their shoulders.

While the watchers knew that the fight was far from over it did nonetheless look promising; the ultimate Moxibustion Happosai had used on Ranma did apparently not work the way the old Grandmaster had expected, so there was still good reason to be optimistic regarding the outcome of the fight. An outcome, that hopefully consisted of a bloodied and broken Happosai.

Every sister wanted to see punishment being dealt more, well more so than already, for there were very few things that were more violating than having your underwear being stolen from you while you still wore them! Their righteous fury was satisfied to some degree as soon as Ranma's fist met Happosai's face yet again, this time in a vicious uppercut that sent the old man flying high into the sky.

"Go get him, stud!" Nabiki exclaimed, and her sisters asked themselves how she managed to utter this in such a sensual voice without blushing.

Kasumi, who was now much more prone to express herself didn't want to be outdone; this was her stud just as much. "Beat him for me, Ranma-kun." she said in a voice just as sensual as Nabiki's.

Ranma turned his head towards the watchers in general and his mates in particular; his face sported a confident smirk. "I will beat him for the two of you." he promised with the hint of an affectionate smile, but his face turned serious moments later. "But all of you will stay here. I'm gonna go all out on that old geezer, and I don't wanna see you gettin' hurt in the crossfire. If ya wanna know what kinda crossfire," he added, looking at Soun and his father with a stern expression, "ask Kasumi and Nabiki, they know what I did during my fight with Gohan."

That said the Saotome youth took to the air, feat that left Soun, Genma and Akane slack-jawed. "He… He can _fly_?" Soun stuttered.

"Yes, daddy. That is something he came up with during his fight with Vegeta. He's so cool, isn't he?" Nabiki asked with a dreamy look on her face.

"On the contrary, little sis, Ranma-kun is _hot_." Kasumi whispered with a look every bit as dreamy as her sister.

Akane snorted behind her hand but let the comments slide; Soun could only nod dumbly, and one look at his long-time friend told him that Genma was not much better off. His jaw still hung open, displaying rows of sharp, pointy teeth. "Genma," Soun said, startling his friend out of his stupor, "change back, and then we head over to the school. This is a fight I wouldn't want to miss for anything in the world."

"But Ranma said that we should stay here!" Akane exclaimed, which drew surprised looks on her. "Hey," she said, holding her hands up, "he may be a boy, but he knows what he's doing and I trust him as my sensei."

"I would normally agree with Akane," Kasumi said with a thoughtful expression, "and I do agree with everything she said except the staying here part. Look, Akane, this is going to be a tough fight, and in case Ranma gets hurt I want to be on site to take care of any injuries he might sustain."

Akane looked at her older sister with a contemplative expression. "You really care for him, don't you?"

"Oh yes." was Kasumi's simple reply, but the feelings that were visible in her brown eyes told so much more. "I will now go into the kitchen to fetch the first-aid-kit, and when I come back I want everyone ready for leave-taking."

Two young women and two older men nodded their heads in consent, and Genma accompanied Kasumi into the house to change back, a grin gracing his panda-face. Oh yes, his boy was making _good_ progress with the ladies. Like father, like son, thought the pandafied Genma.

-.-

Ranma, who would have beaten his father senseless had he known his Elders thoughts, was currently in full flight above the Nerima ward; he ignored the repeated surprised shouts of passers-by down below, and the many streets and alleys he passed were a mere blur to him. This was a battle, and even though the battlefield had shifted that did not mean that he could allow himself any distractions. Homing in on the ki of the perverted master of his father Ranma upped his speed.

It took him under a minute to reach his destination, which ironically turned out to be the vicinity around Furinkan High, and as he had estimated, the old pervert had landed in the empty lot behind the school-building. It also became apparent from the female shrieks that permeated the warm afternoon air that he'd made good use of the time.

The Saotome youth changed course with a growl, angered beyond reason at the fact that a practitioner of the Anything Goes—and its grandmaster to boot!—committed such heinous acts. He shook his head with a growl. Were it not for the fact that the contract promised a joining of the two Anything Goes schools through marriage he'd gladly have abandoned the Anything Goes style. Completely. What he'd said to the 'master' was true, he_had_ developed his own style, and it would be easy to be recognised as a master of his style considering his abilities.

Ranma descended downwards and landed right behind Happosai, who had glued himself to the bosom of a very attractive brunette; due to the warm summer day she was just clothed in a pink tank top and white mini-skirt, which made her an all too easy victim for the perverted master's groping hands. The pigtailed Saiyan snatched Happosai from the young woman's bosom and threw the old man into the direction of a wall about ten metres to their immediate left in one fluid move.

"Better get to safety, Miss, this could get ugly." Ranma said to the young woman, a determined look in his blue eyes.

"T-Thanks." she replied with a coevally thankful and scared expression, and hurried to get away.

The young Saiyan focussed his concentration back on Happosai who had indeed hit the housewall Ranma had aimed for, but the old man wasn't as surprised as Ranma would've liked and bounced off of the wall with ease.

His dark eyes met those of Ranma as he landed no five metres away. "You don't begrudge and old man his few joys, do you?" he asked innocently, only to narrow his eyes seconds later when he saw Ranma's reaction, which consisted of 'the finger'. "I see you do. Well, seems that you haven't learned your lesson yet, boy."

"Which lesson? That one shouldn't become a student of the Anything Goes 'cause its founder wrecks its reputation beyond belief?" Ranma exclaimed with a revolted expression, crossing his arms across his chest in an arrogant seeming posture.

Happosai snorted and crossed his arms over his chest as well. "Feh. It's my style, and I can do whatever I want. Now I'll have to teach you discipline for ruining an old man's fun, boy."

That said Happosai leapt forward, and brought out his pipe in the last possible second. Ranma blocked the blow with ease, and countered with a punch to the perverts' mid-section, which Happosai blocked in turn. The Saotome youth then went for a leg-sweep followed by a punch-kick-punch-combo, but the old man blocked everything with ease. "Not bad, old-timer. Seems like yer vitamins are good for you." Ranma said with a smirk.

Happosai shook his head. "You shouldn't talk so much during a fight, boy. The tactic of riling up an opponent only works on opponents that are easily angered."

Springing into action the old man shot forward, bringing his fists in in a frontal assault. This attack was much faster than all others before, but Ranma had no trouble in blocking it due to the fact that his speed hadn't suffered in the slightest. The pigtailed Saiyan casually dodged and weaved around blows, which irritated Happosai as much as it pleased him. "You have potential, boy." he grudgingly admitted.

"Thanks, old perv. But flattery will get ya nowhere; I have to repay you for diminishing my strength, and for endangering my girls. Prepare yourself for a world of pain, oldtimer."

Ranma sent a flying kick to Happosai's face which the old man blocked and countered with one hand. The pigtailed Saiyan batted the retaliation, a very fast punch, easily away and blocked the follow-up, a knee to the groin with the same ease. Happosai then tried to hit Ranma with a lightning fast roundhouse kick, but the Saotome youth simply grabbed the leg that the old master had used and utilised his momentum to throw him into a housewall five metres to their immediate left.

Happosai was momentarily stunned which allowed Ranma to fall on him in a flurry of kicks and punches. Many of those blows landed, but Happosai recovered fast and blocked a vicious jab to the solar plexus and used his great speed to gain some distance; the old man redirected even more of his ki to his speed and rushed forward like a miniature cannon-ball, headbutting Ranma in the face.

Now it was Happosai who used his opponent's momentary distraction, and he soundlessly fired a huge ki-blast at the surprised Ranma who was hit dead-on and catapulted straight through a wall. Ranma shot to his feet with a snarl, and he barely kept himself from going SSJ. That was something of a last resort, his trump-card; this perverted old master was 'just' a human, even if a particular annoying and cunning example, and he should be able to deal with him despite the fact that his physical strength had been reduced to what it had been before his fall into the spring. However, that only pertained his physical strength, his ki was solely unaffected.

Ranma took several calming breaths and dusted himself off; while doing so he fuelled all of his ki into his speed, and milliseconds after the last dust particle had fallen to the ground he shot at Happosai like a laser beam. The old pervert, who had not expected Ranma to be this fast had no chance to escape the vicious uppercut that sent him into LEO.

**'Hah! That showed the perv. If I calculated his trajectory right he should land somewhere near the empty lot behind school. The perfect place to get serious.'** he thought with a smirk as he headed for his highschool, picking up speed.

-.-

This time around Ranma was just in time to prevent Happosai from going on another groping spree, and the old master ran head-long into him as he seemed to materialise right in front of a cute blonde that had sunbathed in the area and had been about to be 'fondled' by the old pervert.

Ranma was unsurprisingly fixed with a venomous glare as soon as Happosai picked himself up from the ground. "Enough is enough, boy. This was the last time you prevented your master from having his due fun." he promised darkly.

"That… That thing is your master?" the cute blonde asked, revolted.

"T-Thing?" Happosai stuttered, his aura sputtering out. "You wound an old man, pretty lady!" he pouted.

Ranma ignored the pouting perverted master entirely and smiled disarmingly at the blonde. "No way is that freak my master. That's just an old fossil with delusions, and I'm making sure he gets his medicine."

"Oh, okay. By the way, I'm Naru. Are you seeing anyone, …?" the young woman in a very revealing creamy white summer dress asked.

"The name's Ranma, and as a matter of fact…"

"Enough of the chit chat, boy. HAPPOYARIIKA ATTACK!" he exclaimed, and his arms suddenly moved so fast that they looked like the multiple arms of an attacking squid.

The girl jumped out of the way with a look of fright on her face and a shriek, and Happosai yelled "Sorry you have to see this, pretty lady!" while he pressed his attack; the pretty lady in question didn't care for his apology in the slightest and dashed away from the fighting duo with a look of intense fright.

-.-

"And another pretty gal ya managed to scare away." Ranma taunted the old man as he dodged and blocked Happosai's attacks.

He was admittedly hard pressed to dodge and block all those fast and powerful blows, and it really seemed as if he was fighting an eight-armed Happosai; but his defences held, and the master quickly grew discontent with his lack of success and switched tactics. "HAPPO GONJATSU!" the old man exclaimed, and an extremely powerful dark-red ki-blast leapt from the palm of his right hand, rushing at Ranma with unimaginable speed.

This time Ranma had no choice but to step it up a few notches; it would reveal at least some of the extent of his powers, but he could not help it. "WILDFIRE BEAM FIRE!" he exclaimed, and a six inch wide continuous beam leapt from his hands, redirecting the ki-blast into a wall which reduced said wall to rubble.

"Not bad, boy. I didn't expect you to be able to use your ki on such a high level. Well, that certainly makes it more interesting." Happosai commented.

Happosai used a leg-sweep in a blurring motion that Ranma barely avoided, followed by a low combo that Ranma blocked and countered. He aimed a high kick for Happosai's head, followed by two quick punches, one to each side of the body, but Happosai blocked those in turn as well. His retaliation consisted of a barrage of ki-blasts which Ranma countered with blasts of his own.

Finally fed up the Saotome youth decided to really go all out as he had promised to his two mates, and he decided to start big. "ONYX WAVE!" reverberated his bark through the empty compound, and moments later a yellow-green wave of ki rocketed towards a shocked Happosai.

Ranma had gauged the energy carefully so as not to kill the old perverted man, but he needn't have had such worries; for he had forgotten one thing: Happosai possessed nearly as much ki as he did in his normal form, and limiting the strength of the Onyx Wave would turn out to be a mistake. The Saotome youth didn't miss the determined glint that appeared in the eyes of his opponent, but before he could react and add more strength to his attack Happosai had already countered. "HAPPO RENZUKU DAI!" he yelled, and dark-red energy coalesced into a wave left his palms.

The pigtailed Saiyan only had the time to utter "Oh shit!" before Happosai's attack overcame his weaker one, blasting him through several walls of the school building. He sat up amongst the rubble he'd created, and his anger rose as he jumped to his feet.

He was just about to give in to his fury and turn SSJ when his pride kicked in. "No, that old perv ain't worth it. I don't need a fuckin' power up to beat the likes of him, I'm strong enough even with that bloody moxa on my back." Ranma grumbled and cracked his joints. "This time for real. No more nice Ranma." he growled.

Floating into the air he took the time to dust his standard red Chinese silk shirt off, and a determined expression appeared on his face; it'd only been his ki that had kept his precious clothes from becoming shreds due to that energy attack, and seeing that it was his last set he didn't take attacks to them well. He didn't take attacks to his person well either, but that was beside the point. Nobody endangered his precious clothes without paying the price.

His reservations about going all out on a human had vanished like ice-cream into the mouth of a five year old, and Ranma cracked his knuckles. A few moments later he moved, and Ranma left the building at near super sonic speeds, rushing forward to meet an awaiting Happosai whose grin quickly left his face at seeing the black and red bullet flying at him. Ranma instantly executed a vicious combo consisting of insanely fast punches and kicks, and when two jabs to each kidney made contact when he managed to get into the old man's back he pressed his advantage mercilessly.

Happosai spun around to face him, but not as fast as before seeing that he'd been occupied with pressing pressure points to counter the effects Ranma's blows had had, and Ranma blocked the slow retaliation with a high right arm block and the follow up with his lower left leg. His right foot lashed out and caught Happosai in the right side, and he followed this up by rushing forward, catching a recovering perverted grandmaster with an uppercut followed by a hard elbow blow to the chest. The old man went down hard, but just as Ranma was about to press his attack Happosai seemed to touch something in his gi and instantly shot to his feet.

Ranma growled. "I gotta admit, ya can take a lot of punishment; which is good, 'cause there's much more where this came from."

Before Happosai could even begin to form an answer Ranma was already at it again. Seeing no other way Happosai released a flurry of vacuum blades, and those were not the weaker ones Genma had often used in the past. The Saotome youth raised an eyebrow as he dodged and weaved around them, not letting up on his goal to reach the old pervert in order to deliver him into a world of hurt.

One blade nicked him in the left shoulder, but Ranma was so used to pain that he suppressed any reaction and continued onwards like a Juggernaut. A millisecond later he was within Happosai's defences, and the hardest uppercut he had landed yet catapulted the old master straight into the air. Ranma disappeared from the ground with a growl and reappeared in the flightpath of Happosai seconds later, his ability of unassisted flight coming in very handy now. Raising both arms over his head he brought them down on Happosai with nearly all of his might, and the hard blow sent the old man straight towards the awaiting ground like a missile.

Happosai on his part had seldom felt that much pain before, and his face showed this clearly. In fact, the last he'd experienced pain like that was when his first wife had caught him with several other women in a... err... compromising situation. It had not been pretty. Banning these troubling thoughts from the past Happosai focussed his formidable if perverted mind on the present, and he just barely managed to erect a ki-shield around his body that would hopefully protect him at least somewhat, but his primary problem remained. It seemed that he had chewed off more than he could swallow for a change, but who could have guessed that the son of Genma would be this strong?

The impact proved that the shield had dampened the fall and its consequences at least somewhat, but his body felt like a gigantic bruise nonetheless. Ranma sure packed a punch, no doubt about that; fact, that left him in a quandary. Using the moxa again was out seeing that it had shown such little success, and he knew from experience that using more than one weakness moxibustion didn't lead to a greater weakening of the body. Touching a panty he had 'liberated' energised him once again, but the way things were going he would run out of energy rather sooner than later. He'd already used up two of his silky darlings, and sadly Ranma had interrupted him from obtaining more. The boy was surprisingly powerful, and there had to be a reason why.

**'What is his secret?' **Happosai asked himself as he sat up in the crater he had created. **'Can't be milk and cereals, I'd have heard of a brand with such effects.'** he mused wryly.

A sudden motion caught his attention. Ranma. The boy had just landed and was fixing him with a glare. But what was that at his behind? Strange, he hadn't noticed that before. Hmm, that called for closer inspection, Happosai decided. Switching into his version of the Umi-sen-ken the old master disappeared from view and fuelled his ki into his speed to get into Ranma's backside. What he saw there was a darn surprise. **'A tail?'** he thought incredulously, rubbing his invisible eyes.

The way Ranma moved his head told him that he was searching for him, unsurprisingly, and taking into account how talented the boy was it was not improbable that he'd find him soon. Deciding to take a chance with his educated guess Happosai dropped his invisibility, praying that his assumption was correct. "HAPPO CUTTER!" he exclaimed, making up the attack on the spot by forming his ki into a scalpel of dark-red light.

Making a quick slashing motion Happosai cut off Ranma's tail at the base, eliciting an inhuman yell from Ranma as the severed appendage fell to the ground. Ranma spun around to face Happosai, boundless fury edged in his face. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" he yelled, suddenly forming a writhing ball of green-yellow energy in his right hand, pressing it against his backside, which effectively cauterised the wound.

Red flames began dancing over his body as his anger took control, fuelling his ki. Ranma was too angry to think clearly and wasted no time with a transformation. Yellow-green lightning danced across his body, and would one have looked at Ranma's right shoulder one would've seen that the moxibustion mark had disappeared; it had simply been burned away. Ranma's powerlevel had shot through the roof, and he was radiating killer intent like never before.

-.-

"Oh, Goddess!" Cologne exclaimed at the newly constructed Cat Cafe and nearly fell off her staff.

-.-

Ranma attacked immediately, and animalistic fury shone in his eyes; eyes, that were solely fixated on his prey. A gulping Happosai asked himself if he'd not just made a grave mistake, only to have his question verified seconds later when he found a large fist buried in his gut, followed by a fist to the chin that sent him crashing through an array of trees.

He had barely recovered and deduced that the tail had not been the power source when his world exploded in pain yet again. Happosai more felt than saw how Ranma kicked him in the ribcage, and only a hastily erected ki-shield prevented several broken ribs. Nevertheless, it hurt like hell, and skidding over the ground was anything but pleasurable. Once the skidding had come to an end Happosai jumped to his feet and quickly switched into the Umi-sen-ken to get something of a breather, but he found to his alarm that Ranma's furious eyes were staring right at him. **'Impossible! There's no way that the boy can see me! No way!'** he thought.

A barrage of immensely powerful ki-blasts quickly taught him better, and he had to drop the Umi as he frantically dodged and weaved around the blasts in order to have enough energy. A brief touching of yet another silky darling helped out immensely, but it didn't give him enough energy to dodge the furious Ranma who came in hot like a cruise missile, only more destructive. The blow to the head Happosai barely managed to block, and it grew progressively more difficult to keep Ranma's blows from inflicting damage, but the old master fought with the fierceness of the desperate. It began to slowly dawn on him that he had unleashed a force upon himself that could give even him a run for his money, and he realised that he'd made the rookie's mistake of underestimating his opponent.

Deciding that a tactical retreat was in order in case things got even more out of hand Happosai fired several ki-blasts to distract Ranma from his real attack, but the son of Genma was just too fast and too furious to fall for the ploy. Having blocked the attempt to use pressure points on him Ranma quickly went for a chop to the throat which was blocked by Happosai as expected, but Ranma reversed his movement and used his other hand to throw Happosai to the ground.

He quickly followed this up with a sweep seeing as he had expected Happosai to recover fast, and the old man jumped over the sweep as further expected. Snarling Ranma shot forward and scored a painful blow to the master's abdomen, which he followed up by a hard elbow blow to the neck. The blow forced Happosai to his knees, and just as he was about to end his existence Ranma heard a voice. "Don't kill him, Ranma!"

**'Kasumi!'** Ranma thought, her call bringing him out of his frenzy. **'What is_she_ doing here?'** he asked himself, as he stared down at Happosai, who was slowly regaining his wits. **'And Nabiki too!'**

The old perverted grandmaster tentatively looked up, and released his breath. "Phew, I thought it was over for sure. Have to thank my lucky star later." he muttered as he got to his feet.

"Quiet, you." Ranma snarled as he caught the perverted old grandmaster with a vicious kick that sent him into LEO. "And stay away if you know what's good for you!"

Reigning his emotions in Ranma watched as the tiny speck he knew to be Happosai disappeared over the horizon, and he sighed as he began to walk over to where Kasumi and the others were standing. Why did someone always stop him when he was about to dispose of an annoying pest? The Saotome youth sighed, and only the thought that his mates were here brought him some comfort, even if one of them was responsible for his current frustrated state of mind.

-.-

A solemn Ranma reached the group of four Tendos and one Saotome few moments later. His first glance was reserved for Kasumi, and his face was neutral. "I'm sorry that you had to see this, all of you. But putting that freak down would have been needful." he said, a grumble audible in his tone.

Soun and Genma were about to speak up, their intent of praising Ranma for beating their master like that clear, but glances from Akane and Nabiki stopped them dead in their tracks. The fathers wisely decided to leave the talking to the girls after that, and limited themselves to watching; Kasumi looked at Ranma, and her smile made him already feel better. "I understand that, Ranma, but I am not completely convinced that killing him would have been right."

"How do you figure that, sis?" asked a surprised Akane. "I thought you wanted him bloodied, bruised, broken and carted off into the Afterlife!"

"Originally, yes. But I used what Ranma had taught us, and observed. He was too preoccupied with being angry" she sent him an apologetic and coevally loving look, "and defending our honour to notice, but I think Happosai's"

"Don't say the name!" both Soun and Genma exclaimed in unison with looks of fright on their faces.

"Nonsense!" Akane uttered. "How can an adult believe in such nonsense? Honestly, daddy, I'm very disappointed in you."

"Yup, the 'demon' has been banned for now." Ranma said confidently.

"As I said, while my Ranma-kun was busy defending our honour and going medieval on the master," she looked at the fathers, "there, better now?" and looked back at her sisters and Ranma, "he did not notice that the whole fight seemed to be some kind of test."

"A test?" both Akane and Ranma exclaimed at the same time.

Nabiki and the fathers whereas nodded. "It would make sense." the middle Tendo daughter mused thoughtfully. "And it fits the relevant facts. He escaped from some godforsaken cave, decided to have some fun and got stopped by a fighter of considerable power who turned out to be the son of one of the men he trained. It would make sense that he wanted to test you, stud." she finished, looking Ranma directly in the eyes with her gleaming brown orbs.

"Hmm, it _would_ make sense." Ranma allowed, scratching his chin thoughtfully with his left hand; a few seconds later the Saotome youth nodded and looked straight at Kasumi, a smile slowly spreading on his face. "So the old freak wanted to test me, huh? Guess I aced that test." he chuckled. "Good thinking, Kasumi."

"Thank you, Ranma-kun." Kasumi replied, her smile growing bigger. "And now let me thank you properly for defending our honour." she said, and breached the short distance between them with a noticeable sway of her hips. "Thank you, Ranma." she breathed as soon as she was in kissing-range, and dropped the mother of all kisses on his lips.

Ranma's brain short-circuited on the spot, which left his sub-consciousness in control. The others watched how one of his hands snaked down Kasumi's backside, finally ending up around her waist as he began kissing her back fiercely; the reactions to this unexpected display varied, unsurprisingly. Genma and Soun were a hairsbreadth away from a stroke due to sheer happiness, both seeing their chances of a joining of the schools skyrocketing.

Akane on her part was unsure of how to react, seeing as it had been her oldest sister who had initiated the kiss, and a kiss on the lips to boot! Also, she had found out in the last weeks that Ranma was no pervert, and thus she decided to do nothing but watch. Her sister was old enough to look after herself, and if she wanted to get involved with a boy, well, so be it.

Nabiki was unsurprisingly hit the hardest out of the group, as she saw her chances of successfully snatching Ranma for herself rapidly dwindling. She had to act, and she had to act soon, especially considering that… **'Damn!'** Nabiki remembered. **'She's going to ask him _now_, it's the perfect moment!'**

The middle Tendo daughter was about to say something, anything, but her sister pulling back from Ranma prevented her from doing anything. She could see in Ranma's eyes that Kasumi had captured him completely, and when Kasumi began to speak she knew it was too late.

"Ranma," the oldest Tendo girl began, her voice thick with emotions, "I can't thank you enough for defending our honour, including my own. You stood up to someone my own father is obviously terrified of," she ignored the blustering of her father, "and ever since you've entered my life you've constantly proven how honourable, honest and mature you are. It is due to you that I have found the courage to live again, and I'd like to share my life with you. What I want to say, Ranma, I would like to take up the engagement. I love you."

There, she had said it. Formulating this simple seeming sentence had cost her more courage than she'd ever have expected, and Kasumi waited for Ranmas' reaction with bated breath. She ignored everyone except Ranma, whose expression of utter astonishment slowly changed to a pleased smile. "Before I give you my answer, Kasumi, let me say a few words. First of, I l-love you too, and I'm glad that you fought your way out of the shell you had been enclosed into; but believe me, it was you who managed that, my contribution was only minimal."

"Thank you, Ranma." Kasumi replied modestly, blushing. "But your 'contribution' was far more than that, and I'll thank my lucky star for ever and always that it sent you into my life."

The answering grin from Ranma did everything to raise the hopes of two fathers, and nothing to reassure Nabiki that he'd decline Kasumi's offer. Her heart ached when Ranma continued. "I had noticed the changes in you during training, Kasumi; while you retained your convictions to never deliver the first attack you became willing to end the fight. I admit that all of your sisters surprised and impressed me, but the change in you was the most fundamental. I would like to take the engagement to you, Kasumi. Very much in fact."

"Oh thank you, Ranma!" Kasumi exclaimed, flinging herself around Ranma's neck due to pure joy. Her brazenness made her blush for a second, until she reminded herself that everyone around her expressed him- or herself however they wanted. "I'm so happy, Ranma-kun." she whispered, enjoying the gentle but strong embrace of her new fiancé as she pressed her body against his; and boy did that physical contact feel good.

Ranma held her close and smiled despite the difficulties he had with controlling the responses his body had to Kasumi's very womanly body, but he managed to refrain from dragging Kasumi off into the next best bedroom to have his wicked way with her. Barely.

The pigtailed Saiyan gently stroked Kasumi's soft hair, hair that had an appealing smell of peaches as he noticed, and watched the others for reactions. The fathers were whooping with joy; no surprise there. Akane tried hard to look neutral, but the up turned corners of her mouth conveyed that she seemed to be happy for her sister; and Akane_was_ glad for her sister, but one Tendo sister was ready to crawl under a rock and die.

The Saotome youth noticed this right away, but he had a surprise for one Nabiki Tendo; and he was quite certain that said surprise would be much to her liking.

-.-

Nabiki Tendo was mentally berating herself. How could she have been so foolish to think that she could win against her older sister? She had seen the warning signs during training, but had written them off due to the fact that she'd been so convinced that she'd already won Ranma's heart. She had made the beginner's mistake to sell the fur of the bear before she'd killed him, and that mistake had now come back to bite her in the ass but good.

She could barely prevent the tears from escaping, and she couldn't really muster the emotional strength to be glad for her sister. She had lost, and she hated nothing more than losing. Falling back on the only response she knew when dealing with conflicting emotions she forcefully clamped down on them and buried them under a glacier of ice, bringing out her ice-queen mask.

She watched with cool detachment how Ranma held her older sister, and ignored his glance at her completely. **'Love is for the foolish, and I can't believe that I was fool enough to believe in that fairy tale.'** she thought. **'Well, girly, don't love and you won't be hurt. It's back to the roots for us, Nabs.'** she concluded, adding layer upon layer of ice to the emotional dampening field she was reerecting. Nabiki let her cool gaze sweep over the lot. The fathers were nearly delirious with happiness, which was rather unsurprising, and both were dancing a happy and downright ridiculous looking jig.

The fathers on their parts didn't care that their antics looked like an African fertility dance. This day had been the best in over ten years! Not only had the master been defeated by Ranma, no, he had also accepted the engagement to Kasumi! The future of the schools was ensured, now the only thing missing was a priest, wedding vows and an heir! But they would ensure the two love birds a perfect honeymoon, and nature would run its course. Oh, life was good!

Ranma could only shake his head at the antics of the fathers, and part of him felt larcenous delight that his next words would bring their celebrations to a full stop. He slowly brought the happy Kasumi at arms length, and looked her in the eyes. "However," he began, and this single word drew the attention of everyone present, stopping them dead in their tracks at whatever they were doing or thinking, "there's something I would like to announce."

"G… Go ahead, son." Soun said, uncertainty and worry obvious in his voice.

The pigtailed Saiyan smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Tendo. Well, you all know about the contract. We can now say for sure that I have feelings for Kasumi, but I have also feelings for another one of your daughters. I like Kasumi, I really like her and think that I could more than possibly love her, but I like Nabiki just as much. That is why I would like to be engaged to her too. I want to find out with which of your daughters I want to spend the rest of my life, Mr. Tendo; and that's why I invoke the clause that grants me one year to do so."

Nabiki reeled back at his words as if a sledgehammer had hit her, or more specifically the glacier she had erected around her feelings. She swore she could feel the ice crumbling around her, and an irrational happiness spread out in her. She still had a chance! "I'll take up the engagement as well!" she said in a barely controlled but dignified voice, a voice that only wavered slightly due to her worry that she'd wake up from this dream if she hesitated just one second.

"B-But…" Soun sputtered, only to be grabbed by Genma.

"Good." Ranma said, only barely raising a brow at the antics of the fathers. "Kasumi, it's not that I don't like you, rather the contrary. It's just that I like Nabiki just as much, and I really have no idea whom of you I want to marry. It would be unfair of me to take up the engagement to just one of you, 'cause I'd never know if I didn't love the other. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some macho who wants two girls, I just want to find the one for me."

Kasumi sighed in acceptance. "I understand, Ranma-kun."

Akane shook her head. "I really thought you were a pervert for a moment, Ranma. Glad you proved me wrong."

Ranma laughed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "No harm done, Akane." he said. **'To be honest, I'm not so sure if I ain't a pervert, but I ain't stupid enough to tell ya that I really want them both. That stunt bought me some time, but I gotta figure out a way ta marry 'em both. Heh, the next few months are gonna be very interesting… '** he thought.

"I may have lost a tail," Ranma began, only to be interrupted by both Kasumi and Nabiki.

"Does it still hurt, Ranma?" both young women asked at the same moment and made moves to inspect his singed bottom, and the young man smiled due to the genuine worry he'd heard in both voices.

"Not much. Don't matter anyway anymore, what's done is done. I may have lost that tail, but I gained so much more with you two, and that's all that matters." the pigtailed Saiyan said as he looked from his one gorgeous mate to the other; he pulled both Kasumi and Nabiki to him in encircling their waists, and began to drop kisses on both women's necks.

Akane made a revolted noise. "Blech, it's getting too fluffy here. See you all at the Dojo." she commented and walked away at a fast clip, muttering something about wanting to avoid diabetic shock and rotten teeth.

Ranma nodded in her direction as he continued his ministrations, and Kasumi moaned in enjoyment and leant even more into her fiancé. "I… say… we… share… him… sis." she managed to utter between moans.

Nabiki, who was enjoying the same treatment immensely managed a weak nod. "Agreed… ahh… a bit… lower… stud… yeah… there…" she exclaimed, as she craned her neck to give Ranma better access.

"I'm… glad." Kasumi replied. "But… I… call first… dibs… for everything… that goes further… than this."

The middle Tendo sister made a protesting sound. "No… fair!"

"Right… of the… firstborn." Kasumi smugly replied between new sets of moans.

-.-

Genma and Soun stood a good twenty metres away and watched the going ons. The Tendo patriarch was elated and anxious to equal parts; the elation was easily explained and stemmed from the fact that the joining of the schools was finally attainable, but the anxiety stemmed from Soun's subconscious knowledge that he'd have to let go off his daughters. Well, at least one of them. They were becoming adults, and he'd missed out on that.

The Saotome patriarch whereas was just plain elated. "Don't they make a wonderful picture, Tendo? My son and your two daughters, the joining of our two schools that we have always envisioned…"

"B-But… Kasumi… Nabiki… both engaged…" Soun stuttered.

"Soun," Ranma's father said urgently, "don't you get it? We'll win all the same. The boy has practically said that he'll marry one of your girls in any case, and I know him. He will keep his word. What is one year if we'll get what we want? Soun, the schools will be joined for sure!"

The Tendo patriarch nodded slowly in understanding. "You're right, Genma. It's just… I would have liked to see one of my girls happy early rather than later. They have endured many a hardship ever since their mother died, and you know, I was not always there for them. Your son has managed to bring them happiness, and I figured…"

"I understand, Soun. I know, waiting is hard, but I just know that Ranma won't take well to us pressuring him. He has to find out if he can love either Nabiki or Kasumi. Think, Soun, he might even find out that he loves them both!" Genma exclaimed with gleaming eyes.

"Saotome!" Soun exclaimed, scandalised. "Really!"

"Soun, ever since when did you become so narrow minded? It's custom that a man can choose a wife and a mistress. Just imagine the heirs our schools would get…" Genma mused.

"It's a very old custom, Saotome, but you're right, it's a valid custom nonetheless. Maybe you're right…" Soun mused, stroking his beard with the thumb and index finger of his right hand.

"Of course I am! Thinking about it, maybe we should just lean back, teach students and watch how things develop. Pressuring them and especially Ranma leads to disaster, I learned that the hard way. Granted, we could give the boy some pointers how to win a girl over…" Genma mused slyly.

"Saotome, these are my daughters you're talking about. I hardly think it's appropriate for me to give your son pointers how to seduce my little girls." Soun said pointedly.

"Soun, Soun, Soun, its all for the greater good of the schools! Do you want them joined or not? We just agreed that we want heirs for the schools, and that isn't possible without sacrifices. Besides, you've surely gotten much too rusty to be of help anyway."

"Is that a challenge, Saotome?"

"Why yes, Tendo."

"Good, you're on. One case of sake that I still got it."

"You're on, Tendo."

"Hand on that, Saotome. I know you."

Genma held his hand out while hiding his grin. Soun had always been too easy to manipulate, and one case of sake was a small price if that ensured the joining of the schools. "I accept the bet." he said as he shook Souns' hand.

"Me too. And I will win, Saotome, mark my words!"

"We shall see, Tendo, we shall see…" Genma said with a sly grin.**'This is a bet I wouldn't mind to lose in the slightest.' **

-.-

A very disgruntled and most of all wet old man walked aimlessly through Nerima, his thoughts circling around the fight. A fight he had lost. "The boy is good, I have to give him that. But I have to find out if he is the one to be my heir. He has stood up to me, which is more than the weaklings Soun and Genma ever managed, but is he the one to lead the Anything Goes into the next century?" he muttered to himself.

"The boy is strong, even more powerful than I am. I have to find a way to face him as his equal so that I can see how good and resourceful he really is. I need to take away his advantages, need to find out if he is worthy of my training. But how? If only I could absorb his ki…

"That's it!" he exclaimed suddenly, startling several passers-by. "Sorry." he muttered, walking into a dark alley-way. Grinning Happosai sat down on the pavement and began extracting his belongings from… somewhere. "Gotta have it here somewhere… Nanban mirror… Useless… Amulet of Zork… Rubbish… Summoning scrolls… bah! Stupid demons never do what one orders them to anyway… ah! Here it is! Instant spring of drowned girl. Always keep some around in case you are in an area without females to fondle. Hmm, too bad that it only lasts for twenty-four hours or the next hot bath. Have to find a way to prolong its effects. Just think about all the things I could do with the energy of a female Ranma! But I'm getting side-tracked here…

"I want to find out if he is worthy of becoming my heir. Now to the details. Which ways are there to prolong the effects of Instant powder? Damn, I don't want to have to travel to that darn Joketsuzoku village. Wait, where did this freak rain shower come from? Odd."

Hearing voices that conversed in a Chinese dialect he hadn't heard in a long time Happosai quickly gathered up his belongings, switched into the Umi and jumped on a convenient rooftop. What he saw next gave him the next big surprise of the day. **'Amazons! What are _they_ doing here? Hmm, that could be to my advantage. Those crazy women always have interesting magical accessories handy. Gonna follow them.'**

Happosai followed the delegation of Amazons to a large building that had obviously been newly constructed. **'Nekohanten - Cat cafe. Interesting. I wonder what they want in Nerima; something tells me it has to do with Ranma. The boy has a knack for attracting trouble, heh heh.'**

Slipping in through the backdoor before it was closed Happosai entered the building. His own Umi was much more effective than his pupil's, and it allowed for absolute stealth. It was still a mystery to him how the boy had detected him, but it only meant he had to further improve the technique. Concentrating on the here and now Happosai quickly and efficiently checked the ground-floor of the Cat cafe, and nearly suffered a coronary when he caught sight of her. **'Kuh Lon! Damn, what is _she_ doing here?'** he thought as he took great care to bring as much distance between them as possible. He knew he was the better fighter, especially considering his 'talents', but this was a secret operation. Detection was not an option, stealth was the key here.

Happosai held his breath as he padded upstairs as quietly as possible. Searching the rooms—he had to reign in his impulses with every bit of mental strength he possessed at taking in the sight of a purple haired bombshell engaged in training, her well-endowed chest heaving, sweat coating her perfectly tanned soft skin—Happosai finally entered a room that he figured to be Kuh Lon's. Grinning he began to sift through her belongings after he'd picked the lock, deactivated several booby traps and circumvented more than a few alarms. He was just glad that he'd bothered to learn Chinese way back.

**'Love potion... Love potion... Formula 411 shampoo... Formula 119 shampoo... Potion... Shampoo... ahh! That's more like it! Permanence water... _Locks Jusenkyo curses, including the temporary forms (warning: temporary form becomes permanent after a month of locking if not counteracted. Permanence is induced due to strengthening of the magical matrix of the temporary curse to the level of a regular curse if not counteracted in the specified amount of time). Only known counteragent: water from Kaisufu._ Perfect!'** Happosai thought with glee as he stored the magical item in his gi.

Happosai crept out of the room with a very evil grin on his face and sneaked into the room the bombshell trained in. He had seen that the window was opened, which made this the perfect escape route. Not sparing the hot girl more than a wistful glance Happosai sneaked to the window, climbed onto the windowsill and jumped onto the next rooftop, bounding away. He had preparations to make.

-.-

Later, deep at night the old grandmaster of the Anything Goes had finished his preparations and was more than looking forward to see his efforts bear fruit. He had distilled, no, _sacrificed_ ten packages of Instant Girl powder to add the concoction up to a greater potency, and had then vacuum sealed the refined powder in a bag. The permanence water was waiting for its great moment securely stashed away in his stuff-space, and Happosai barely refrained from cackling as he bound over the rooftops, destination the Tendo Dojo.

Happosai soundlessly landed within the perimeter a few minutes later, and immediately jumped up onto the windowsill of the room from which he could feel Ranma's ki. Sneaking into the room soundlessly while making sure that his target was sound asleep Happosai knelt down and extracted the bucket he had brought with him. Pulling out a keg of distilled water he filled up the bucket as silently as he could, then he added the Jusenkyo powder to it. An unholy gleam entered Happosai's eyes as the substances mixed, and he waited a few seconds until he was sure that complete mixture had occurred.

Without further ado he threw the contents of the bucket at the sleeping Ranma, waking _her_ up. Hesitating not a second he pulled out the permanence water and quickly drenched her with it. Ranma, who was surrounded by an eery green glow shot to her feet like a fury, only to fall down immediately due to the different centre of gravity. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!" the newly made she yelled, grasping at her throat due to the alien sound of her now female voice.

Ranma looked down at herself disbelieving as the eerie green aura slowly faded into nothingness, and a horrified expression spread over her face. Happosai grinned to himself and shot forward, immediately cuddling into the soft bosom of the newly made she. The amount of ki he drew was nothing short of gigantic. However, the heat coming off of Ranma courtesy of a giant battle-aura urged him to let go of her, and Happosai reluctantly jumped back, noticing the vast well of ki he had now at his disposal. "That's even better than I'd ever have dreamed of!" he exclaimed giddily.

Ranma got to her feet wobbly, touching the newly made soft mounds of flesh on _her_ body with surprise. She fixed Happosai with a death-glare as good as she could considering that she had trouble staying on her feet. "WHAT THE HELL DID YA DO! WHY AM I LIKE THIS?" she yelled, probably waking up everyone in a radius of two kilometres.

Happosai simply smirked at her as steps from adjacent rooms could be heard. "Why, my Ranma-_chan_, I paid you back for defeating me. Or did you ever doubt Soun's words that my revenge would be terrible?"

"RANMA!" several persons exclaimed, entering her room. "What has happened?" Kasumi asked, managing to beat everyone to the punch by a few milliseconds.

"Who are you?" Nabiki asked immediately thereafter, fixing the unknown redhaired girl with a stare. "How did you manage to enter this room, and where is Ranma?"

"Nabiki," Akane said in dumbfounded recognition, "look at _her_ eyes. Don't you see it? I don't know how, but I think this girl _is_ Ranma!"

"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed in old fashion. "How is this possible?" she asked, asking the question on everyone's mind.

"This old pervert did it!" Ranma exclaimed furiously while stalking towards her prey. However, while walking _she_ noticed all the differences about her new body, which effectively stopped her. "How did you do it, old lech, and how do I undo it? OUT WITH IT!" she bellowed.

Happosai grinned. "Oh, you can't undo it, it's permanent." he said, making Ranma look at him in horror. Everyone else shared the pigtailed girl's horror, everyone except Happosai, who looked decidedly smug. "And it is not nice to yell at your master, but I'll forgive you… if you'll wear these here!" he exclaimed, producing a set of black lace panties and bra.

Ranma looked more revolted than ever before in her life. "How dare you!" she exclaimed, finally losing her patience. She turned SSJ with a primal snarl, making everyone except Happosai tumble to the ground.

"Oooh!" Happosai exclaimed in delight. "You turned your hair blonde for me! How splendid, you already know what your master loves best."

That made Ranma finally lose it completely; rational thought left her as anger took control, and the sub-conscious knowledge that only Happosai would know how to remedy the situation was buried under an avalanche of fury.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" the blonde yelled, shooting forward. Flying wasn't hampered much by her changed centre of gravity, and due to the fact that the power-up had increased her speed greatly Happosai didn't even see the blow coming that sent him straight through the roof.

Ranma huffed a few times, drawing attention to her heaving, very healthy chest. Then, suddenly, she slumped bonelessly to the ground, her back to the wall. "Permanent. He said it's _permanent_. Whatever did I do to deserve this?" she lamented.

Silence was her only answer. A severe blow had just been dealt, but not only to Ranma…

**  
to be continued**…

**  
Thanks for reading. Also, thanks to everyone for helping me out with suggestions, comments, ideas and c&c in general. **

**Special thanks go to the people at Shinjis board for their continued great help. **

**And last but not least, many thanks to my beta for this story, Ordieth. **

**  
**As always, comments and constructive crit are welcome and appreciated. Till next.

**  
A/N: yes, that chapter contains quite the unexpected plot-twist, and you can thank an AIM-session Innortal and me had way back.**

**He made the casual comment that Ranma-chan did not have not to appear in the story, and he was right. There's much fun to be had, especially with the Nodoka and Herb arc. The latter was made possible / a lot more easy to introduce 'cause of this little twist. And besides, what's Ranma without the curse? **

**Now to a technicality: yes, Ranma was blessed by Jusenkyo after the fight in the springs, which made him immune to Jusenkyo curses; but we all know from the Anime that temporary curses from Instant packages override even 'normal' curses, as such they weren't deemed dangerous by the blessing. Add the locking agent to that et voila.**

**If you don't like it or just plain don't buy it, well, that's your right. But this twist was planned from the start.**

**Now to a little recommendation: check my profile from time to time. You'll find notes on updates and stuff. **

**  
Many thanks to those of you who were kind enough to leave reviews for the last chapter: **

**  
**Jim Ohki, keichan2, majinbuu7985, SAMPSON12187, Innortal, Ryo-chan wolfgirl, Shadow Kage, Exarikun, Silverscale, Jax9, MysticSuperSaiyanGohan, AZant, bissek, AzureSky123, DarkRubberNeck, meat, sadfru, ranger5, RockBane, dennisud, psycotic boy, Underdark Ranger, Rejhan, Martrex, Wonderbee31, Ranko, Xtor49, SSJ Guyver1, Novice91, Warwolf, BlazeStryker, ss4-link, cokeboi, Shadow.R.Chaos, Dragon Man 180, FairyQilan, Lord Oberon, Jago Li Son Shiranui, JohnnyG, Son Oliver, ninofchaos, Cyde, Hiryo, SSJ4Gene, taxzombie, K-Dog the Fire Beast, luger 7, Ryu Vision, Saiyan Mage, Eric13, keichan2, Neongene


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: A Legend Reborn Sidestory

**Author name**: Trugeta

**  
Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Akira Toriyama and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story.  
Also, the OCs used in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is not intended and purely coincidental.

This story takes place after Movie 10 of Dragonball Z and at the beginning of the Ranma series. It's an AU, and reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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Chapter 2: Coping**

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**The air in Nerima had been cleared by a downpour not ten minutes ago, and it had washed away the warm temperatures that had carried over into the night. Yet it had not managed to clear the air in the Tendo dojo, and it was doubtful that even the strongest of thunderstorms would have managed to do so. The house was fully illuminated, and its residents had congregated in the living room; the fathers were sitting at the shogi board—the place they customarily retreated to to think—and had left the table and low cushions to Ranma and the Tendo sisters.

The four teenage girls and two fathers were hanging to their thoughts as everyone tried to comprehend what had happened a good twenty minutes ago, and none of them were in the mood to enjoy the pleasant summer night. The residents of the Tendo house had all been sound asleep until about half an hour ago—and would have been still had it not been for what had happened said thirty minutes ago; the degrees of alertness among the six persons varied, but they were without exception in varying states of shock. The cool and pleasant breeze that wafted in through the open sliding doors went completely unappreciated—even though it served to further the awakening processes. The Tendos and their guests were clad in their sleepwear, and all of them were unexceptionally trying to make heads or tails of the situation.

Even the middle Tendo daughter—who was typically sleeping like a log this late at night—was alert as ever, but the situation at hand was far from typical and made for one slightly grumpy but awake Nabiki; she surveyed Ranma out of the corner of her eyes from her position to the left of the redhead as she sipped the coffee Kasumi had made for her out of a large, black cup, and saw her older sister watching the redhead as well from her position to the right of Ranma, the same concern evident on her face that she herself must be displaying. Akane was also observing Ranma from her spot at the table next to Kasumi, and her worry for her friend and sensei was obvious on her face as well. Even a total stranger would have been able to tell that something was wrong right away. One could see it in the tense faces, the strained postures, yes, could even feel it in the air that something had happened, something big.

It was dead at night, but nobody at the Tendo dojo was even remotely thinking of getting a capful of sleep, everyone was wide awake—not least due to varying pick-me-up's like strong tea and coffee—and most of all unsure how to handle the situation; that particularly applied to of a very well built red haired young woman who had been a young man not half an hour ago. The events that had led to this astonishing change had left everyone shell-shocked, and not just the future of the often mentioned Saotome and Tendo schools rode on a solution to the problem, no, the very future of one Ranma Saotome did in particular.

The young redhead in question frowned as she massaged her still overheated skin, skin that had been exposed to water so hot that even her tough Saiyan skin had been hard taxed to handle; but she'd forced herself to endure the temperatures anyway in hopes to initiate the change that came so naturally to her father with the application of correctly tempered water. Try as she might, no change had occurred.

Ranma scowled as she adjusted her pyjama top yet again; the plain white pyjama she was wearing had been lent to her by Kasumi, who'd deemed boxer shorts and a t-shirt plain indecent, and had blushed for some reason when Ranma had exited the room she shared with her father dressed that way. Nabiki, who'd stood beside her older sister had seemingly suffered from some odd nose problems, and she'd continued to hold her nose for several minutes thereafter; she'd have considered it odd—and might even have understood why this particular physical reaction had occurred—hadn't she been busy with other, far more important matters.

The boy-turned-girl growled lowly and adjusted the stupid pyjama top for the umpteenth time in a seemingly futile effort to get more comfortable, but the soft mounds of flesh on her chest where not about half an hour ago had been well defined pectorals kept irritating her. Kasumi had foreseen that this problem would pop up and had offered a sports bra to support her rather healthy rack, but she'd declined, and rather indignantly at that. She was a guy, damn it, and guys didn't need these vile contraptions that pretended to be clothing.

Kasumi... she thought absently, she'd have to make it up to her later. Had it not been for her and Nabiki—both had accompanied her into the furo, being her iinazukes, and had insisted that no one else even dare to follow—she'd have gone crazy over the physical changes, which were enough to leave anyone unhinged; it had been a huge relief that she was nearly as strong as her male half—which meant she was strong enough to beat just about anyone on the planet with the exception of Gohan and probably Vegeta—and it made things seem not too hopeless. She was still strong, still had the complete range of her abilities, and that gave her the confidence that she'd somehow manage to undo the change.

Her frown deepened as she reflected on the day, a day that had turned from wonderful to very rotten. Everything would have been perfect; Kasumi and Nabiki had both agreed to become her fiancées, and not just out of duty but because both loved her, and she'd been in the mood to celebrate on this fine August day. And celebrated they had; Ranma had enjoyed the delicious foods and the company of her—at that time his—fiancées, and she'd decided to take their relationships further as soon as they were comfortable. Everything had seemed perfect. But no, the perverted freak had to pull this stunt on her. Which just had proven what they said about perfection: it was an unobtainable goal, and when you thought you'd obtained it anyway it would shatter like glass when you expected it the least.

-.-

Soun and Genma were as devastated as Ranma and the Tendo sisters. The two masters sat unmoving in their seats in front of the shogi board, and even their ever present thirst for sake had left them; the shogi pieces remained untouched, the shogi board that had seen so many captivating matches—in Soun's and Genma's opinion, at least— left aside.

"How could the master do that to us?" Soun whined, and the master of the Tendo school barely managed to remain in control of his emotions.

Genma nodded in dismay, his face a mask of defeat. "This is the worst form of punishment I've seen the master dish out, ever. All our plans for uniting the schools… they're for naught if the master told us the truth." he sighed.

The Tendo patriarch looked his old friend in the eyes and nodded grimly. "But it sure seems this way, Saotome. The boy tried changing back a million times already, yet neither warm nor boiling hot water had any effect. I hate to admit it, but the master has found an ingenious way to get a power source." he replied as he sipped from his herbal tea.

That caught the girl's interest. "Power source?" three Tendo daughters asked in unison, and even Ranma looked up, risen out of her funk.

Genma nodded gravely, and he fixed the girls with a serious look. "Yes, power source. You have no idea how fortunate it was that Ryoga got himself lost, otherwise the master would have been able to directly absorb the ki from his female form. We've never found out how or why, but the master can absorb ki from any female he comes in contact with. That's why he loves his panty-raids so much, the concentration of ki is highest in panties and bras." he explained with a shrug at being confronted with three pairs of scandalised and burning glares.

Soun nodded gravely. "And considering how much ki Ryoga's female form has…" he trailed off.

"It would have been disaster." Genma concluded with a grimace.

"So he didn't just turn Ranma into a girl out of petty revenge…" Akane mused loudly.

"No," Nabiki said in a pondering tone, taking up Akane's thought, "he did it because he saw how strong Ranma was, and turning him into a her would provide him with the ultimate battery and put him on even footing. Damn, what a sicko."

"Maybe it's more than just that," Kasumi mused, her brows furrowed in contemplation, "maybe the 'master' wants to continue testing Ranma, and needed to put himself on even footing for it, just as Nabiki-imotouchan suspects. We should expect more... tests."

Genma and Soun exchanged a grave look. "I believe you may be onto something there, girls. This is indeed something the master would do." Genma mused with nods of his head.

Ranma slowly raised her head, and she growled as she did so. "The next time I see him he won't be able to touch me, 'test' or no test, oh no. I'll just blast him to the last atom." she snarled, her eyes turning teal.

"Hey, good to see you coming around, Ranma." Akane said with a smile.

She could see that what had happened had still not really registered in her sensei's mind, and all of them would have to help him… her to adjust in case it really turned out to be permanent.

In the millisecond this had gone through Akane's mind Ranma had focussed on her, a weak smile gracing the beautiful neo-girl's face. "No sense in moping around if I want to get revenge." she said as she looked each Tendo sister in the eyes, and the others could hear that she meant it.

"That's the spirit, Ranma." Kasumi said, giving the neo-girl a warm smile.

In reality the oldest Tendo sibling had no idea what to make of the situation, her smile was bravado, nothing more; their lives had once again taken a spectacular turn, something that seemed to happen increasingly more often ever since the Saotomes had entered their lives. But Ranma's change into a girl… she really had no idea how to feel about it, and dearly hoped that she'd come up with something over time. Right now she had no idea how to deal with Ranma's change, and she dearly hoped that Happosai had lied. Nevertheless, she'd give Ranma the support he… she deserved that and more as her iinazuke; it was not every day that the man you loved changed into a woman, true, but she would deal with the situation and her love would be her energy to do so. And that was—unbeknownst to her—her own answer on how to deal with the situation.

"Daddy," they heard Nabiki say, "who tells us that what your 'master' said is the truth? He doesn't seem the honest type, and my gut-feeling tells me that something is up."

Nabiki had no idea either what to make of the situation, yet she knew that it changed nothing in regards to the love she felt for Ranma. But that her hunky fiancé had gone from being the most handsome and well-built man to being a gorgeous female made the so desired joining of the schools all but impossible. Two girls just couldn't procreate, and the sole alternate solution at a joining of the schools made her want to retch. Should it really turn out to be a permanent thing their fathers might conceive the revolting idea of forcing a female Ranma to marry their father. Not that she thought that probable, though; and should anyone even dare suggest it Ranma would likely kill the idiot, and she, Nabiki, would help. No one dared steal her handsome stud—even though he—or rather she—was more of a gorgeous mare right now. They just had to get to the bottom of this before the fathers could do something stupid, and the base assumption was that Happosai had indeed lied.

Looking at her father gave her hope, as her father had the typical facial expression he always wore when he was thinking intently. "The master has lied often when it suited his needs." Soun mused finally, nodding. "Thus it's not improbable that he employed this tactic again."

"However," Genma began, "even the lies of the master most often contain a grain of truth. It could be that the condition becomes permanent—heaven forbid—if certain circumstances are given." he added in a pondering tone.

Ranma scowled. "And there's still the matter _how_ he managed to change me into a girl. It _has_ to be through Jusenkyo, and that should be impossible!" she exclaimed angrily.

A sudden sound from the outside—which oddly sounded like air being displaced—made them all turn their heads towards the open sliding door; the sight that greeted them made Soun nearly faint. Which was certainly understandable, seeing that he had never seen Nameks before in his life.

"Greetings." Dende exclaimed cheerfully as he calmly walked into the living room. "Say, we sensed another Saiyan here, a female one, not five minutes ago. Do you know anything about it?" he inquired, focussing on the Tendo sisters.

"W… Who are you? W… What are you?" Soun stuttered from his seat, completely weirded out by the appearance of these two aliens.

Dende smiled apologetically. "Excuse my manners, Mr. Tendo; how rude of me to forego proper introductions. I'm Dende, guardian of the Earth, Kami, if you so will. This here is Piccolo." he introduced with a nod of his head at the much taller and broader Namek.

Piccolo nodded curtly in greeting, his eyes scanning the crowd and coming to rest on Ranma-chan. "Your energy signature is familiar. Who are you?" he inquired, his voice holding its usual gruff quality.

"Blunt as ever, huh, Piccolo?" Ranma-chan retorted with a snort. "I know it's somewhat hard to believe, but I'm Ranma Saotome. Before you say 'That's impossible.' let me tell you what happened today." she added with a scowl that rivalled Piccolo at his best.

"Yesterday, gorgeous." Nabiki corrected with a teasing grin.

"Whatever." Ranma replied, waving it away with a gesture of her right hand.

"Why, we'd like being filled in, wouldn't we, Piccolo?" Dende commented, nudging the taller Namek in the ribs.

"Yes." Piccolo gruffed, crossed his legs under his body and floated upwards. "Begin at your convenience." he added and ignored the stares that ensued; stares, that amused Dende greatly.

Soun, who'd remained frozen stiff in his seat shook his head a few times as if to clear it. "So he's green like a bean and can float. Bah, Ranma can too." he muttered as he braced himself up.

"Right you are, Tendo." Genma agreed, shaking off his own stupor. "He can float and is green, so what?"

"Are you two finished yet?" Ranma pointedly inquired.

"Yes, yes, boy, don't concern yourself with us." Soun replied.

Ranma-chan nodded curtly and plopped into her cushion; then she launched herself into the story how they'd encountered Happosai and what had happened.

Dende—who'd taken the cushion to Ranma's right—inserted throughout the recount that he'd watched the fight, admitted however that he hadn't paid any more attention to the happenings after Ranma had defeated the old nuisance. That her tail—or rather his, at that time—had been cut off was nothing new to Dende, but it might be something that could be remedied in the blink of an eye; he knew the matter of how he had become a she was Ranma's primary concern and focus now, but if what he suspected was true he would at least be able to solve one problem in a moment's notice.

"Say, Ranma," Dende began slowly, his face a mask of concentration, "did this 'master' you fought cut your tail off or did he rip it out at its base? I couldn't see it clearly."

"He cut it off, leaving but a miniscule stump behind." the redhead replied with a furious scowl. "Just another thing I'm going to send him to hell for." she added in a dark whisper.

Dende sighed in relief. "Then it's not as bad as I had feared. Hmm, yes, it happened just a few hours ago… it should be possible. Yes…" the diminutive kami mused to himself and focussed his large eyes on Ranma, "your tail is not lost to you, Ranma," he grinned, "in fact, I will be able to restore it here and now."

"Really?" Ranma asked, her eyes going wide with surprise, surprise that even managed to displace her dark mood—even if likely just temporary.

The kami of Earth nodded confidently, and the three Tendo sisters mirrored the smile that was blossoming on Ranma's face; they, as Ranma's students—and more, in two cases— knew full well how much the tail meant to him—now her—, and if there was a way to restore it it would be a silver lining on the horizon.

"See, the situation is starting to put itself right, red." Nabiki commented with a smile playing in the corners of her mouth. "You'll get your tail back, and you will find a way to overcome this. I believe in you, and I love you."

Kasumi—not to be outdone by her younger sister—smiled brilliantly as well, and the sheer power behind her megawatt smile made Ranma's head swivel towards her older fiancée. "I believe in you as well, Ranma, and by the kami, it does not matter what will happen, I will always love you."

Not a second later Ranma felt her right hand being squeezed tightly by Kasumi's left, and a smile, a real smile spread on her face as she saw the love Kasumi held for her. "I… thank you, Kasumi. Words are not enough to thank you two," she whispered as she looked from fiancée to fiancée with a wide variety of emotions flickering in her eyes, "thus I'll just say thank you for being my fiancées and for loving me. I love the both of you."

Her smile widened even more when Nabiki grabbed her other hand as if to lend her strength, but what Ranma drew from Nabiki and Kasumi went so much deeper than just strength, it was love, love and a feeling of firm support that made her feel like she could take on and achieve anything.

The reactions in the living room to this display of affection varied; Akane was misty-eyed and immensely happy that both her sisters were staying true to Ranma, the fathers were unsure of what to make of the situation but glad that Kasumi and Nabiki were nothing but supportive and the—outward—reactions of the Nameks could not have been more different. Dende was openly smiling, displaying his happiness over the fact that love was once more proving to be one of the strongest forces in existence, and Piccolo looked like he couldn't have cared less; appearances can be deceiving though, and the tall Namek was inwardly happy for Ranma that his—or for now her—mates had proven their worth, but he had to keep up appearances.

"If you are finished with this blatant display of emotion," he scowled, adding a little of his power to forestall any comments, "I would like to get down to it.

"Ranma," he focussed on the boy-turned-girl as he reached into his cloak, producing a senzu bean which he tossed at the redhead and which Ranma caught effortlessly, "we shall now see if your tail can be restored easily or not."

"Am I supposed to chew that thingie or what?" Ranma inquired as she looked at the tiny senzu bean in her palm.

"Swallowing will be suffice." Dende replied. "And I strongly suggest you be standing for the process."

The redhead shrugged her shoulders and did as Dende had suggested. "Was just making sure." she retorted, opened her mouth, put the senzu bean in it and swallowed.

Every single attender watched the Saiyan youth for a reaction, yet nothing happened for several moments. Then, all of a sudden Ranma felt the muscles all over her body contract and the redhead bent over forward, supporting herself with her hands on her thighs. She grit her teeth and barely managed to contain the scream of pain that threatened to escape her lips, and then, suddenly, a furry brown tail shot out from her spine, navigating its way out of her pyjama pants on his own.

The redhead acted on instinct and curled the regrown tail around her waist, sighing in contentment as she sat back down on her cushion. Nabiki and Kasumi took one hand each and gave squeezes, their warm brown eyes conveying how happy they were for her; Ranma simply smiled back, and everyone in the room—bar Piccolo—shared in the smile.

Ranma bowed her head deeply and thanked both Nameks profusely; Dende just smiled at her and replied he'd done it gladly, and Piccolo, well, the tall Namek grumbled about emotional humanoids, but the redhead didn't miss the twinkle in his eye.

-.-

After a new round of tea and cookies Ranma continued her tale, now focussing on how she'd happened to turn into a female. Her audience listened raptly, and Dende's eyes grew large as he learned of what else had happened after he had decided to drop out on the fight.

"He drenched you with some strange water and you were like this? And he said it was permanent?" he inquired incredulous.

"Yes." Ranma replied with a scowl.

"Intriguing. What about the credibility of his statements? Is he to be believed?" Piccolo asked with a frown.

"We asked ourselves the same question." Nabiki supplied, rubbing her temples. "We've yet to uncover how he did it, and Ranma suspects that Jusenkyo had something to do with it."

"Jusenkyo." Dende growled, his good mood giving way to irritation. "One of the few areas I have no influence over at all. If it were for me I'd have Vegeta or Gohan en route to destroy the whole area, but my superiors effectively bound my hands. I have to believe in their superior knowledge, as hard as that is."

Ranma-chan's face visibly darkened, and a low growl escaped her throat. "And the kami kick my ass yet again. Splendid. But you know, it should've been impossible. I got that immunity against Jusenkyo's effects that was granted to me after I fell into the spring and did something great, according to the guide.

The redhead frowned. "You see, I fell into that Jusenkyo spring during my fight with that old ghoul Cologne, and nothing happened. Why was it different here? It doesn't make sense!" she grumbled exasperatedly

Dende nodded thoughtfully, he understood the neo-girl perfectly. "As much as I'd like to help you, I can't get any information about Jusenkyo that would help you. That's restricted area, as far as I'm concerned." he explained with an apologetic shrug and a sigh.

"But of course!" Nabiki exclaimed suddenly, drawing everyone's attention. "Does anyone think they've got a homepage? It's worth a shot!"

That said Nabiki jumped to her feet and hurried out of the room. "I'll be right back! Just getting my laptop!" she exclaimed and bound upstairs.

"Does anyone understand what's going on?" Genma asked, confusion visible on his round face. "And what's a homepage?"

Akane shook her head in an amused way. "Really, 'uncle', you should catch up on modern means of communication. Oneechan wants to conduct an internet search to see if the search engines turn out any hits for 'Jusenkyo'." she explained.

Kasumi nodded. "Remember the computer course I attended and which you thought a waste of time, dad? Methinks you'll have to eat your words pretty soon." she commented with a smile.

Soun shrugged. "I'd just about eat anything—except my baby daughter's cooking—" he added in a whisper that only Ranma and the Nameks heard, "if it helped."

"I sure do hope it does." Ranma-chan muttered. "If Nabiki doesn't come up with results I'll find the old perv and pound him within an inch of his worthless life and squeeze the info I want out of him. On second thought, I'll do that at any rate." she added with a growl, her blue eyes blazing.

"Here I am!" Nabiki exclaimed few seconds later, plopping down into her seat beside Ranma, balancing her laptop on her thighs. "The OS has already loaded, thus we can login any second. Damn, it's good that I invested some of my money into wifi a few months ago. So… login commenced. Okay, lets google."

Nabiki began typing away at a fast pace as the others crowded around her. Ranma didn't even notice that she began floating upwards due to sheer nervousness, and when Nabiki let out a whistle she nearly crashed down to the ground. "One hundred and eleven hits. Not bad." she said, as she began browsing through the results. "Here, that looks promising. 'Jusenkyo Products Ltd.'. Hmm, only one way to find out if it is." she said, and clicked the link.

Seconds later a homepage appeared, and Nabiki let out another low whistle. "Damn, those guys sure know how to market their products. Hmm, the disclaimer says they sell everything except the real curse water. Whoever is crazy enough, according to them, has to travel to the source." she read, giving Genma a meaningful stare. "However, they sell light versions of the curses, so called 'Instant packages'.

"Wait, let me check that. Looks promising." she said one click later. "_The Instant packages provide the user with a one-time experience of a Jusenkyo curse. The effects spontaneously wear off after twenty-four hours or alternately, exposure to hot water. Note: the effects of Instant powder override real Jusenkyo curses temporarily. For further information call blah blah blah._"

"Damn. It can't be an Instant package considerin' how often I've showered. And a real Jusenkyo curse can't get a hold of me. So what did the old fossil do to me?" Ranma exclaimed in frustration.

"Hmm, maybe it _was_ an Instant package, but the 'master' found a way to prolong the effects or how to make them permanent. Too bad it doesn't say what options there're to make a curse permanent." Nabiki mused with a sigh.

"There's only one way to find out. Call that number." Kasumi suggested.

"They're one or two hours behind, so calling them now wouldn't make much sense." Nabiki reasoned.

"Wait!" Genma exclaimed suddenly, digging around in his pockets. "The guide gave me a calling card after he'd changed me back. Personally I don't really care if we throw him out of bed, this is an emergency!"

"You're right, Genma! The joining of the schools is much more important than that man's sleep, so call him right away, Nabiki!" Soun said in a commanding tone.

Nabiki nodded—having planned to do so any way—and fetched the telephone, then walked over to Genma and took the calling card from him. Seconds later she'd dialled the number, and everyone, the two Nameks included, waited with bated breath. Moments later Nabiki gave a thumbs-up, indicating that she'd managed to get through.

"Yes, this is Tendo Nabiki from Nerima, Tokyo, Japan. We have an emergency at our hands…"

_"You have any idea how late?"_ came a grumpy voice from the other end of the line.

"Yes, I know, and I'm sorry," Nabiki said, her tone saying otherwise, "but we have a bad case of Jusenkyo emergency."

_"If this is joke call…"_

"No, this is no joke, listen…" Nabiki began.

Ranma lost her patience and grabbed the phone from Nabiki. "Now listen here, get that damned drowned translator water so that we can talk and get your lousy ass back to the phone!" she commanded in a voice that communicated her impatience.

_"Who you are, miss? How you know of water? Is secret!"_ a baffled guide replied.

"Cause I was at Jusenkyo, you buffoon! I was the one who fought whatever that was in the springs, the one who received Jusenkyo's blessing! Fat load of good it did me!" she growled.

_"Aiyah! Be right back!"_ the guide exclaimed. He was back on line about thirty seconds later. _"Miss, I'm back. Now please tell me what happened again. If you are the same young man it should have been impossible for you to receive a curse. So tell me, what happened after you received your new body at Jusenkyo?"_

A small smile crossed Ranma's lips despite the situation. "My father jumped into the uncursed spring in an attempt to get the same benefits as I." she replied, ignoring the indignant blustering of her father.

_"It's true. So what in the goddess' name has happened?"_ he asked.

The redhead sighed and launched herself into yet another explanation of the happenings. Once she had ended silence reigned at the other end of the line. _"I see."_ the guide finally said. _"It can't have been real curse water, that wouldn't have had any effect on you."_

"Thanks, Sherlock, that I'd have known without you. So, what _did_ he use?" Ranma asked in annoyance.

_"It has to have been the Instant stuff. However, that would have worn off after a hot shower, and you said you took at least ten. So he must have used something to make the temporary curse permanent. Say, did he have a ladle with him?"_ he asked.

Ranma shook her head, then remembered that her interlocutor couldn't see that. "Not as far as I know, no. He threw that water at me, as said, and then he threw another watery substance at me from a small flask, I think."

_"A small flask, you say? Well, that could have been water from the Chisuiiton, or…"_

"Or?" Ranma pressed.

_"Permanence water. It's the only thing that comes to mind, even though it's rumoured to being gone from this world. If it was indeed Permanence water it would make things much worse."_ the guide sighed.

"Worse?" Ranma asked with a growing sense of dread. "Don't tell me the old fossil said the truth and I'm permanently a girl now."

_"No, no,"_ the guide soothed, _"that was a lie. However, the temporary curse becomes permanent after about a month if the counteragent is not provided, and the only one known is water from the legendary Kaisufu, which is…"_

"Let me guess," Ranma interrupted with a laboured sigh, "lost."

_"Unfortunately."_ the guide confirmed. _"No one has an idea where it disappeared to, and many have searched for it over the centuries."_

"Splendid." Ranma commented, massaging her temples. "So chances are that it might be too late to get rid of the curse even if I find the Kaisufu."

_"Yes. Though there're curses much worse than the girl curse, keep that in mind. At least you remain a member of the humanoid species. Am I right to assume that your abilities carried over?"_ the guide asked.

"Why, yes. Is that uncommon?" the redhead asked.

_"No, not at all. I just wanted to confirm that it's the same for you. You know, the springs turn you into what you'd have been had you been born this way. The way you are now is what you'd have been had you been born as a female. So don't worry, its still one hundred percent you."_ the guide assured.

"That's a weak reassurance, but thanks nonetheless." Ranma said with a sigh.

_"One more thing… shall I sent word to your local bureau dealing with Jusenkyo curses to get you an ID for your new form? I mean, chances are that it might be for keeps." _the guide reasoned._ "And due to living in modern times you'll need a way to prove your ID."_

The redhead sighed once again. "I guess it makes sense. No need to land in jail cause of the old fossil. Okay, do it. You got our names from when we were at the springs, right? If so, use my name for the other form as well."

_"Yes, I have your name. You'll probably receive your new ID tomorrow. Those bureaus usually work very efficiently, I should know." _the guide said with a smile in his voice._ "Oh, and please keep me up to date, will you. You can even mail me at Jusenkyo-guidejusenkyo.vrc. I wish you the best of luck, and even if the curse is for keeps, remember, it is still you. Good bye."_

"Bye." Ranma said as she hung up. Then she sighed, massaged her temples yet again and proceeded to fill the gaps for the others.

Dende fixed her with a sad smile once she had finished. "It's never easy for you, Ranma, is it? I'm sorry to say that neither Piccolo nor I can be of assistance, not even we have the option to find a long-lost artefact out of the blue."

**'Too bad we just used the dragon to fix the moon, and getting to New Namek would take too long at any rate. You're on your own until you find a lead, my friend.'** Dende added as a thought.

Ranma nodded in acceptance. "Would have been too good to be true anyway, Dende. But thanks nonetheless. Piccolo, can you or Gohan help me should I have a trail of that kai-thing?" she asked.

"Of course, kid." Piccolo replied immediately. "Just give us a call."

"Well, we'll take our leave now so that you can all get some rest. Not everyone has a Saiyans' stamina, after all." Dende said with a smile.

"Err, yeah. Thanks for stopping by, Dende, Piccolo." Ranma said with honest thankfulness.

The guardian of Earth smiled while Piccolo simply nodded gruffly, and the next moment both Nameks were gone.

"Odd fellow, that Piccolo." Soun commented with a sweatdrop.

"That he is," Ranma admitted, "but he seems to be quite okay. Decent sparring partner too."

Genma nodded appreciatively. "That's always good. But now we should really call it a night. It has gotten quite late, and I'm sure we'll need our strength tomorrow."

"Today." Nabiki corrected with a wry smile. "And methinks there is one more thing that needs to be cleared up. Even if Ranma is a boy in mind, the fact remains that she now has a very female body. That makes it inappropriate for her to share a room with you, 'uncle'."

Genma looked around in bewilderment, and his confusion grew as Soun nodded. "She is right, Saotome. I wouldn't even dream of sleeping in one room with my seventeen year old daughter, and sad as it is, Ranma is just that for all intents and purposes."

"Hey!" Ranma objected with a frown, "I'm a guy!"

"Sure," Nabiki drawled, "maybe inside, but your outer package says something very different. I still wonder how a boy can make such a gorgeous girl, honestly."

"Nabiki!" Ranma exclaimed, scandalised.

"Just teasing, Ranma." Nabiki reassured with a smile. "Though if that bod of yours is for keeps we should think about a model career for you…" she mused with a thoughtful expression.

Ranma buried her head in her hands, then got up from her seat with a dejected expression on her face. "I swear, only me…" she muttered, as she trudged upstairs.

"Nabiki, was that really necessary?" Kasumi demanded, her tone scolding.

"Oneechan, I was just planning ahead for the very real possibility that the curse _is_ for keeps. Why shouldn't we use the good looks Ranma has got in this body? It would be a shame to waste all those money-making possibilities! Just think, Ranma could be _the_ star with a body like this!"

"Nabiki, I think Ranma has other worries than that." Kasumi said. "I can only imagine how hard it must be for her to have everything you take for granted just swept off from under your feet. Imagine you changed into a guy all of the sudden, with everything that entails, the different parts, everything. Don't you think that that would just blow your reality away? And here you're thinking about money making. Honestly." she concluded in a scolding tone

Nabiki sighed. "Sis, that's my way of dealing with the situation. I like Ranma very much, I really do. I even love her.

"But I had to suppress the doubts I had pertaining if Ranma will be successful, and to distract myself from these idiotic thoughts I thought about making money. It's my refuge." she added with an apologetic shrug.

Upstairs Ranma had heard every word due to her keen hearing, and part of her felt reassured that Nabiki wouldn't just use her new body as some sort of cash-machine. A smile spread on her face as she heard Nabiki say that she loved her, which—unless Nabiki was putting up an act—was the honest to goodness truth. With the—moral—support of those two she'd be able to take on anything, and she would restore her manhood.

She lay down on her futon with an expression of fierce determination on her face, and made the mistake to choose the position she always slept in, on her stomach. However, two rather large mounds of flesh made this position really uncomfortable, and as she moved onto her left side she made a vow to pay Happosai back. Thoughts of revenge prevalent in her mind Ranma slipped into an uneasy sleep, eagerly awaiting the morning.

-.-

Ranma came to, and when he opened his eyes he noticed right away that this was not the domicile that had become his home in the last few weeks. He blinked his eyes a few time to adjust them to the unexpected sunlight, then blinked a few more times as he noticed a few differences; the pigtailed Saiyan looked down at himself, and noticed for the first time that he was male again.

"Yahoo!" he exclaimed happily and performed an impromptu dance on the spot, "I'm back to normal! It was all just a bad dream."

"I am sorry to rob you of your elation and happiness, Ranma Saotome, especially after all you have done for us, but it was not just a bad dream." a female voice said out of thin air.

Ranma's blue eyes narrowed to slits as he looked around in an attempt to find the presence that eluded his senses, and anger bubbled up inside of him. "Who's there? And what d'ya mean by that? I'm cured, ain't I?" he inquired in a tone that held both anger and confusion.

A female stepped out of the fog that had not been there a few moments ago, and she was remarkably beautiful; she bore a slight resemblance to Shampoo in regards to her facial features, and her body was in any case as attractive as the Amazon's if not even more so. Her long brown hair flowed gently in the breeze that wafted through the Jusenkyo valley, which Ranma only now recognised as that. "No, Ranma Saotome," she said in a melodious and soothing voice, "you are not cured.

"To answer your other question, we are the spirits of Jusenkyo that blessed you, Ranma Saotome. I have been chosen to contact you due to your newly acquired affiliation with my spring." she said in an apologetic sounding tone.

"Neat." Ranma retorted neutrally and crossed his arms across his chest. "Call me Ranma, will ya, otherwise I get the feeling I'm at school or sumthin'. Roll call 'n' all that."

The Spirit nodded. "Of course, Ranma. Please call me Haruko." she said in a warm tone.

Ranma inclined his head. "Pleasure to meet ya, Haruko, even if the circumstances are far from pleasurable." he replied, his voice holding a grumbling undercurrent.

Haruko let a laboured sigh escape her lips. "I know, Ranma, and I am sorry about what happened to you."

"Why am I in male form if the curse is still active?" Ranma asked with a frown.

The Spirit looked apologetic. "Because this is the way you see yourself—or more precisely your sub-consciousness. Should you not manage to counter the effects of the Permanence water this might change over time."

"Change?" Ranma inquired with an angry frown. "I doubt that very much, and that's politely expressed."

"You would be surprised, Ranma." Jusenkyo's Spirit replied with a smile. "The forms our springs bestow upon their victims are far more than just curses. They are the genetic counterparts of what the victims would have been had they been born this way. The more open-minded and adaptive people get used to their forms over time and use and accept them, and acceptance is most often easily achieved where humanoid transformations are concerned; this is what I was referring to when I said that might change."

Ranma's lips escaped an angry scoff. He knew that the Saiyans were a very adaptive race, but he really hoped that his own adaptivity would not be needed here; well, not more than anyway considering that he'd be female for the Kaisufu hunt.

"I see." he replied, keeping his face neutral. "But I don't think it'd surprise you much if I tried to remove this damn lock in time."

"Not at all, Ranma." the spirit replied with an understanding smile. "Rather the opposite.

Jusenkyo's Spirit sighed. "As it was partially our fault that you ended up as a female we understand it better than most." she said in a tone that conveyed her truthfulness.

"Good. I think of myself as open-minded, but I was born male, and I want to return to being male 24/7." Ranma retorted with angry conviction.

The Spirit nodded in understanding. "Of course. Considering your prior exploits I'm certain you will succeed."

She sighed. "The same can not be said about us. We apologise that we failed you."

The pigtailed Saiyan made a surprised face. "Huh? What are ya apologising for if? It wasn't your fault."

An even longer sigh escaped Haruko's lips. "But we _are _partially responsible for what happened to you. Now let me explain why you are here instead in one of your sleep induced dreams. We, the Spirits of Jusenkyo have maintained a spiritual connection to you since we gave you our blessing for your defeat of the Saiyan who would have destroyed us all hadn't it been for you; that's how we know what happened.

"We gave you immunity to Jusenkyo's touch for your great deeds, yet we never anticipated that someone could overcome the effects of our blessing so easily." she said apologetically.

Ranma frowned. "So I would retain that female body if I don't manage to get the lock off in time. Note to self: kill Happosai at the next best opportunity." he grumbled and closed his eyes—which had turned teal—for a few moments in an effort to rein his anger in.

About half a minute later he opened his eyes to reveal their once again sapphire blue colour; said blue eyes fixated the Spirit with an enquiring look. "If your blessing gave me an immunity to Jusenkyo's touch, I think that were the words of the guide, why was that Instant Girl water able to work on me?"

The Jusenkyo spirit sighed deeply yet again and sat down Indian style on the grassy by-path between two springs; Ranma mirrored her and sat down in front of the woman, about ten centimetres away. "When we gave you our blessing, Ranma, we made the oversight to not include the Instant packages and assorted methods of locking as thoroughly as we should have. We simply deemed the Permanence water no danger to you—more to that soon—as we wove our spell that would protect you from Jusenkyo's touch as well as any means of locking you should you ever use an Instant package out of curiosity."

Ranma's brows shot into his hairline. "Curiosity? Excuse the language, but why the fuck would I want to use an Instant package?" he half shouted incredulously.

The red haired woman laughed, and it was a nice, melodic sound that had a relaxing effect on Ranma. "You have no idea how many people in your world would view the chance to come to know how the other half lives as very tempting, yes, even as an enjoyment, Ranma. It's the non-permanence of the Instant packages that made them so popular among your kind, the assuredness that one can return to how one was."

The Saotome youth nodded grudgingly. "Okay, I see your point. But how do you know of the Instant packages in the first place? Ain't you just Spirits?"

Haruko nodded. "That we are indeed. But we know of them for a simple reason: our connection to the guides that served Jusenkyo through the Ages. You see, we exactly know of the nature of these Instant packages, and we see from your mind that you do as well. The factors that their effects have A) a time limit and B) can be countered with hot water and C) our safeguards—which we deemed sufficient—made us view them as innocuous to you."

The pigtailed Saiyan growled and his eyes switched colour yet again as well as his hair, which switched from pitch black to gold a few times, finally settling on gold. "But they were not." he retorted with gritted teeth.

Jusenkyo's Spirit met his teal eyes unflinchingly. "No, they were not, much to our sorrow. We did safeguard against any and all means of locking you in conjunction with the usage of Instant Packages, or so we thought. But we had simply not anticipated that there could be Permanence water left in the world. Altering the spell matrix now would achieve nothing, because the Permanence water is now already actively influencing the magical matrix of the Instant package. That, and the lock is already on, which makes an alteration impossible."

Ranma pounded a fist into the ground, creating a sizeable indention in the process. "Why can nothing ever go my way?" he growled angrily, shaking his head. "What exactly is that fucking Permanence water?"

The Spirit sighed. "It is a relic from ancient, dark times, a powerful tool of dark magic that should never have existed in the first place. Its sole purpose was to lock curses, yes, even Instant ones, something that not even the Chisuiiton manages."

Ranma surveyed Haruko with interest. "Huh? But the guide inquired about a ladle... think he called it Chisuiiton."

"I'm sure he mixed it up, Ranma. The locking ladle or Chisuiiton does not work in conjunction with Instant curses." Haruko explained.

Ranma nodded in acceptance of this fact. "Right. So does that mean Instant curses can't normally be locked?" he inquired.

"No," Haruko said with a shake of her head that made her hair move counter to the motion, something that looked very enticing in the Saiyans opinion, "the magical matrix of Instant curses is to weak. Tools like the Chisuiiton can't get a hold of it, but there are other tools, most of which are fortunately lost in Time. Permanence water—which we thought lost as well—is one of them, and it's a different kettle of fish entirely. One of its functions is a strengthening of an Instant curses' magical matrix which just takes seconds, then the lock kicks in."

"Great." Ranma grumbled in distaste. "Who was the fucking asshole that came up with such cruel shit?"

Haruko's face gained an unforgiving quality. "It was designed by a Warlock whose name and history are lost to the Ages. All that we know is that he created a contraption with which normal water could be turned into Permanence water. The contraption was eventually destroyed."

Ranma's face displayed a grim smile. "Good. How did that happen?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Haruko's beautiful face scrunched up in distaste. "Evil Warlords of old made it a game to obtain Instant packages—which were a lot safer to use than actual cursed Spring water—and use them on their victims in conjunction with Permanence water. The water was a lot more common in these ages, and only a valiant campaign against it fought by former victims of it and their allies managed to rid the world of it when they destroyed the contraption and the water. Or so we thought."

"Or so you thought." Ranma muttered angrily, but his anger was not directed at the Spirit. "Happosai." he spat. "Figures that someone like him would find a way to obtain something thought destroyed."

Haruko dropped her head in what looked like shame. "We are sorry, Ranma. We thought the Permanence water destroyed and gone from the world, and we detected no trace of it when we wove the spell, which means that it must have been hidden from our sight. We are battling it, but we have no hope of altering the spell to include Permanence water if you do not manage to obtain water from the Legendary Kaisufu."

Ranma nodded. "That's what the guide said as well; he also said that it is lost." he grumbled.

Jusenkyo's spirit gave a laboured sigh. "I am sorry to say, but we can not help you in locating it. Our powers are very limited outside of Jusenkyo, and we only managed to guide you to this dreamscape due to the established link between us. And to answer the question you assuredly have, no, we can not do more. The link simply does not allow for more than communications."

"Rats." Ranma grumbled in defeat. "So I have to go on a journey to find a lost magical artefact, and I have about a month to do so. Great."

Haruko looked apologetic. "I am sorry we can not do more, Ranma. We hope it's a consolation that your female form retains all abilities of your birthform; there should be no noticeable difference in power."

"That's at least something." the pigtailed Saiyan muttered. "What I'd like to know... How can that Kaisufu work on me if the Chisuiiton could not?"

Haruko smiled. "That's easily explained, Ranma. You see, the Instant curse was strengthened up to the level of a real curse, which means it is strong enough for the Kaisufu to get a hold of it.

"Plus," she added with a grim smile, "it is a powerful tool of light magic and thus not on our black list."

Ranma nodded his head in understanding. "Good. That just leaves me with the task of finding the Kaisufu. Hope I manage to do that in time, am no archaeologist after all. And I hope my condition doesn't get permanent, these female parts are just too… weird." he quietly said.

The Spirit chuckled. "You will have to get used to them for at least a month, Ranma. True, it will be challenging, but see it as a learning experience." she said and held up her hand to forestall the angry retort that was on the tip of Ranma's tongue. "Hear me out. You have a month to come to know how the female half of the human species lives—even if you're Saiyan, the similarities are sufficient—, and I would suggest learning as much as possible instead of fighting it at any opportunity. The knowledge you can gain can go a long way in understanding your mates, don't you think?"

Ranma's expression went from angry to neutral. "Explain."

"If you engage in being female for a month instead of fighting it every inch you will gain knowledge, won't you?" the Spirit suggested; at Ranma's grudging nod she continued. "And it's always good to gain knowledge, don't you agree? I thought so. So, if you know what makes females tick, so to speak, you'd have the key to a more successful relationship with your intended. Which could make all the difference considering that you have two intended, Ranma."

"Huh? How's that different?" Ranma asked with a puzzled expression.

An amused chuckle came from the Spirit. "Maintaining a working and successful relationship to one woman is difficult, Ranma. I should know, I was a woman over 1,500 years ago. But doing so with two women is a strenuous task. My suggestion is, learn everything about being female there is—within the scope of what you're comfortable with, of course—and apply it to your relationship with your mates."

"Can't hurt." Ranma relented grudgingly after mulling it over.

"Sure can't." the redhead replied. "Keep in mind, sex only goes so far in a relationship."

Ranma blushed. "Err, what do ya mean?"

"Did you have 'The Talk'? Do you know what sex is?" Haruko inquired.

"Yes." Ranma answered, having regained his mental equilibrium. "Learned the facts of life from a monk of all things. Useless pops wouldn't tell me, always kept saying that I should concentrate on nothing but the Art."

"It's good to see that you overcame those teachings." the Spirit replied with a serious expression. "Anyway, it's a relief that you had 'The Talk'. I still blush every time I remember the time when my father gave my older brother 'The Talk' and I eavesdropped on them. Good that it was summertime back then, thus they mistook my blushing for a severe case of sunburn."

A low chuckle escaped Ranma despite the situation he was in. "Much the same as it was for me back then. Can't believe I was ever that naive."

Haruko nodded. "Naivety is cute in children, but it should not extend to adolescents and adults. Naïve people are easily exploited and manipulated, and it's good that you overcame your own naivety. It would have cost you much in the long run." she said with conviction.

"Probably." Ranma agreed with an inclination of his head. "But now back to what ya said. What didcha mean, sex isn't everything in a relationship?"

The Spirit rested her head on her left palm, her hand being supported by the elbow that rested on her left thigh; her brown eyes fixated the young Saiyan, and Ranma was not sure that he'd have had the strength to look away from her powerful gaze.

"When I said that I meant it. Sex is very important in a working and prospering relationship, and good sex that satisfies the partners involved even more so."

Ranma's brows slowly climbed into his hairline as he frowned. "The monk didn't mention anything of that kind…"

Haruko frowned. "That doesn't surprise me. He was probably one of those types that go to the local houses of pleasure to satisfy their needs. It's unsurprising that he'd paint an image like that. It was the same 1,500 years ago, which means that nothing has changed, as it seems.

"Ranma," her eyes turned very intent, "a woman's idea of sex is very, very different from a man's; a man's foremost goal is to come, to fulfil the need to spread his seed. A woman's needs are very different from that."

One look at Ranma was sufficient to tell that Haruko had his full, undivided attention. "How so?" he queried; while he wouldn't admit it out loud, she had piqued his interest with her argumentation. If he possessed the definite knowledge how to please a woman it could only be advantageous.

The Spirit looked at him intently. "I'll try to explain it from a female point of view, Ranma. I can't give you any guarantees, but I think my ideas are pretty accurate."

Ranma snorted in amusement. "There never ain't any guarantees, Haruko. Go ahead."

The Spirit inclined her head. "A woman's idea of sex... Well, we women want the man we offer our bodies to to do more than just take us, as the modern world calls it; the man shall spoil us, fondle us and caress our bodies, he shall take care of our whole body and not just our crotch and breasts, the parts that interest him the most." she explained with a wink and a smirk.

"We want him to take it slowly," Haruko added in a now serious and intent tone, "we want him to express tenderness and care. We need to get in the mood, Ranma, the better the sex will be for the partners involved. We know all too well that it's over all too soon once a man gets down to it."

"I see." Ranma said contemplatively, and he did; men were indeed primarily focussed on the procreational act, an instinct that stemmed from ancient times, an instinct that had been paramount for the survival of the species. This instinct had lost importance nowadays, and it should be possible to rise above it for his mates, right?

"I see in your eyes that you really do, Ranma. Maybe you understand now what I was getting at; use your time as a female to understand your mates better, and you're practically guaranteed a long-lasting and fulfilled relationship." Haruko suggested.

Ranma nodded appreciatively. "Which is something I long to have with Kasumi and Nabiki. They just became my fiancées, and I want to be them a good husband when the time comes.

"Provided I can get rid of the effects of this thrice damned water." he added with a growl, and yellow and green lightning coursed around his body for a few moments.

Haruko's right brow climbed into her hairline due to the spectacle of power she was witnessing. **'We chose wisely when we gave him our blessing, even if it did him ultimately no good.'**

"I'm sure you will, Ranma. Though remember one thing: this female form may be a curse, but it's your body until you find the Kaisufu. Take good care of it as you would of your 'normal' form, and have faith in it. It has the same capabilities, it's just a bit weaker."

"Weaker? Great." Ranma grumbled in disdain.

The Spirit waggled her finger at Ranma and smiled. "That's no excuse to view the female body as inferior, Ranma. A woman is lighter, and when trained—as you are—faster than a male.

"Then there's the fact that you're Saiyan; which negates the difference in physical strength. Your female body is still a Saiyans' body, thus much stronger, faster and the kami know what than a human's; and don't forget the SSJ capabilities.

"But please promise me that you won't view the female gender as inferior just because we are physically weaker. You must understand that no gender is better or worse than the other; both genders have advantages and disadvantages, and we live and grow through surpassing the limits the disadvantages impose on us. Those limits are challenging, Ranma, that is true, but isn't the whole life a challenge?" Haruko inquired.

The pigtailed Saiyan repeated what the Spirit had said in his mind and slowly nodded his head. "You may have a point there, Haruko." he admitted.

"Sure do." the Spirit retorted with a smile. "To sum it up, you'll have to deal with the situation anyway for at least a month; you can either be open-minded and benefit from it or be bullheaded and ignore the insights you could gain. It's your choice." the Spirit added.

Ranma inclined his head in acceptance. "You're right, it is my choice. And it is my choice that I'll try to follow your advice. I promise I'll be open-minded and won't let misogynistic views cloud my judgement."

Haruko smiled, the smile reaching even her eyes. "Thank you, Ranma. There is much the Nyannichuan can teach, and I hope you will learn my lessons well."

The pigtailed Saiyan inclined his head. "I always give my best, Haruko, that's why I don't lose. What I'd like to know, why do you know so much about me? Is it because of that spiritual link you mentioned?" he inquired with a curious expression.

Haruko nodded. "Yes, you just answered your own question." she replied with a smile. "Every time we bring you into this dreamscape we gain an update on your situation, so to speak. We can not do it often due to the enormous power it requires, but it's useful. Its usefulness is admittedly limited in regards of the real world as we can't influence what lies in the past."

"It's better than naught." Ranma replied with a shrug. "Your advice has helped me in any case, and I'll try to make the best of the situation."

"That's very mature of you, Ranma." Haruko said with a smile. "I am sure you'll make your fiancées very happy."

Ranma's answering grin was wolfish. "Oh yeah." he exclaimed, showing his teeth.

"Rest well, Ranma." the Spirit softly said, a small smile on her face.

With that the Jusenkyo valley faded away, and Ranma Saotome smiled in face of the conquests he was going to make.

-.-

Ranma had slept rather fitfully, and the redhead was glad that she'd been the sole occupant of the guest room when she woke up rolled into a ball, the blanket scattered beside her to her right. The memories of her encounter with Haruko were still fresh in her mind, which probably was the reason why she'd awakened a few times when she'd unconsciously switched into her usual sleeping position, only to be painfully reminded of her new gender. The strings of curses she'd uttered each time would have made even the most hardened of sailors blush, of that she was sure.

The redhead yawned languorously and stretched in an attempt to reinstate full alertness, but it did little good. It was 7:17 a.m. according to her wrist-watch—which she'd had to adjust to fit her slimmer wrist; it was a quiet Sunday morning like any other, birds were twittering outside and the sun had already set, warming the outside as well as the inside with its rays.

Ranma yawned yet another time and slowly sat up on her futon, which reminded her yet again of her new gender. The neo-girl's irritation grew until she remembered the promise she'd given Haruko, and calmed herself with a few deep breaths; this was her body, albeit very different and alien, but she was a Saiyan, a warrior, and she had to function, had to be ready for battle, any time. She wouldn't be stopped by something the old perv had inflicted on her, she would show him by functioning and getting stronger!

But first to a nice long soak in the furo. Nodding to herself in approval of her sudden inspiration of how to obtain further relaxation Ranma got up from her futon and closed the window to keep the summer warmth outside; then she made her way downstairs to the furo, finding it unoccupied. Ranma opened the door and took great care to leave the occupied sign out. There was just no way that she'd have anyone walk in on her, no way.

She contemplated several creative ways of killing Happosai for what he had done as she filled the furo, grumbling to herself all the time. He hadn't just cut her tail off, no, he had also weakened her with the Moxa _and_ turned her into the opposite of what she had been! That demanded punishment, rather severe punishment at that. Death sounded much too mild a punishment for him, in fact.

Ranma scowled as she undressed, and surveyed her new body for real for the first time. The full body mirror displayed every anatomic detail, and Ranma thought to herself that she made one gorgeous girl, even if the whole situation was something akin to looking into a funhouse mirror.

She was about 5'' 9' in this form at her estimation, and she had—without boasting—the body of a Goddess. The athletic built of her male form had undoubtedly carried over, and the redhead's lips escaped a low whistle. Her legs—and that pertained both thighs and calves—were well-toned and not even remotely comparable to the thin legs she'd seen several girls at Furinkan showing off; her legs were powerful and hinted at the strength she possessed, not to mention the overall muscle-tone of her body. Her body exuded strength and fitness, yet without being even remotely similar to the over-developed built that women who indulged in athletic sports—weight lifting in particular—were prone to develop.

Her waist was narrow—just as she liked in other women, like, say, Nabiki and Kasumi—without having a too waspish quality, and her hips were—in one word—perfect. Ranma was very satisfied with what she saw, and she had to admit that she even took pride in her endowment and her flat, smooth stomach that led to her naughty bits, even though she'd never have admitted it out loud.

This was not her—much preferred—male form, but she'd be able to work with it, and—more importantly—fight in it. Haruko had been right, her being a female Saiyan—until she managed to rid herself of the curse—meant that she was still much stronger than the strongest human male, especially with her being a SSJ.

Ranma shook her head in wonder as she raked her right hand through her now red hair, hair that was partially standing up in spikes which made it look hard, but in reality it was incredibly and surprisingly soft; her bust-line was impressive and would probably make just about any other girl green with envy, not to mention her figure, which could compete with that of a super model any time. In short, she was a hottie, and it was fortunate that she _would_ find the Kaisufu before the time was up, or she'd probably attract admirers like honey does flies.

It was also a good thing that she had been changed into a Saiyan at Jusenkyo, otherwise she would have taken this unexpected change a lot harder, she just knew. It probably had to do with the different brain of a Saiyan, something that resulted in greater over-all adaptability, and she'd be able to deal with the change until she'd get her hands on the Kaisufu.

**'Be it as it is,'** Ranma thought to herself, her right hand resting on her left breast, **'that's not what I've been born as, and I will find this Kaisufu and return to my normal body. And then I'll trounce the old fossil, but good!'**

The redhead had just finished this thought when the door was opened. Ranma turned away from the mirror in surprise. She had left the occupied sign out, hadn't she? The neo-girl had just thought this when her blue eyes met the brown eyes of the intruder. Akane.

"RANMA YOU PERVERT!" the blue-haired girl exclaimed with profound disappointment tingeing her voice, her face turning red.

Ranma locked eyes with the angry brown ones of Akane. "What do you want, Akane? I thought we had got your bursts of temper under control." she said with a sigh.

"TEMPER OUTBURSTS? MY BLOODY BURST OF TEMPER IS DAMN JUSTIFIED, YOU PERVERT!" Akane yelled, and her loud voice probably woke up the whole house with its sheer volume.

"No, it isn't." Ranma retorted simply, staring Akane down. "I have no idea whatcha got your panties in a twist over, but I'm no pervert. And now tell me what your damn problem is, or my patience will run out and I swear that I'll give you a sound trashing in that case. I'm not in the fucking mood for this shit. Got me?" she asked, even more frost covering her voice.

That seemed to bring Akane out of her funk, at least somewhat. "I thought you were different, Ranma. I thought you were not like all those perverted boys who just lust after chances to see a girl naked. Got your jollies?" she spat.

Ranma was taken aback and her face visibly darkened when she'd overcome her surprise; it was akin to watching a storm brewing, and the redhead was just about to—verbally—tear into Akane, when the door to the furo was opened. Four heads peeked in, and two immediately turned away at seeing the nude girls.

Kasumi and Nabiki recognised a stand-off right away and walked in, closing the door behind them. "What is going on here, Akane?" Kasumi asked with the authority of the oldest sister tingeing her voice.

"The pervert was ogling himself in the mirror, that's what!" Akane shot immediately. "He was even touching the left breast, the bloody hentai!"

Ranma's blue eyes glittered malevolently. "Someone sure took a good look there." she retorted with lightning bolts flickering over her bare skin.

Nabiki sighed. "Here we go again…" was her comment as she shook her head in dismay.

"It sure seems so." Kasumi commented, her gaze—which was focussed on Akane—profoundly disapproving.

"Sis," Nabiki began with force which made Akane focus on her, "have you listened to yourself? This," she pointed at the nude Ranma, giving her an appreciating once over in the process, "is _Ranma's_ body! Isn't it normal to look at your own body, to touch it? Granted, Ranma got this body due to a curse, but should he… she not take care of it because of that? How do you propose she should wash herself, with her clothes on? Damn, shake your idiotic perversity convictions off, will ya?"

"Nabiki is right. I had really thought we had come further in the last weeks, Akane." Kasumi added from her position to her middle sister's left, disappointment tingeing her voice. "Ranma is least to blame for what happened, and you obviously forgot what the Jusenkyo guide said. This is what Ranma would have looked like had he been born a girl. It is still _Ranma_, not some pervert fondling a female body."

The redhead nodded satisfied and her blue eyes held a hint of thankfulness under the anger they displayed. Akane whereas stared at her sisters in disbelief. "B-But he's a boy in a girl's body. It's just not right!" she exclaimed scandalised.

"Thanks for sharing, Akane. And thanks for thinking so highly of me." Ranma sarcastically spat. "It isn't as if I didn't have enough on my mind, no, you just had to accuse me of something like that.

"And here I thought you were a friend." she added with anger and disappointment coating her voice. "Well, the mood for a bath has left me. I'll go for a jog and use the furo later. Alone. Please leave me some water, Nabiki, Kasumi."

Ranma slipped into her pyjama without waiting for an answer and left the furo; she didn't care that it was impolite, she just wanted to get away to clear her head before she lost control of her temper. The redhead threw the furo door shut with an audible slam that reverberated through the house, leaving a confused Akane and her angry older sisters behind.

-.-

Kasumi was just about furious that Akane had assaulted Ranma, a ma... person she loved, verbally; her fury was a state of mind she hadn't experienced in a long time, and it made her even more forward than ever. "How could you, Akane! Hasn't Ranma already suffered enough due to what the 'master' did to him… her? No, you had to go and hurt her with your bigotry! What is wrong with you?" she demanded, her brown eyes glinting with barely controlled anger.

The youngest Tendo was taken aback by the force with which Kasumi had spoken, and she found herself in the uncommon situation of having to defend herself from her oldest sister, an older sister that had scolded her countless times in the past, but never this forcefully and... angrily. This Kasumi was... scary.

"B-But… he… she… that was perverted!" Akane stuttered out as she tried to defend herself.

"Akane," Nabiki said in a level voice, "when has Ranma ever behaved perverted in the whole time he stayed here? Just name one occasion."

When Akane didn't utter a word Nabiki nodded. "Figured as much. So what the hell made you think Ranma were a pervert when she surveyed herself in the mirror?" she asked, shaking her head. "Just so you know, I don't take unfounded accusations to people I have feelings for lightly, baby sis. And I have strong feelings for Ranma."

Akane met the steely hard eyes of her middle sister and barely suppressed a shudder. "But looking at that female body and touching is perverted, isn't it?" she tried to reason.

"Akane," Kasumi began, taking over from Nabiki, "it is not Ranma's fault that he received this curse, which we all hope is temporary. Nevertheless, Ranma needs our help and encouragement during these rough times. Imagine you became cursed to turn into a boy, and someone locked you in this form, a form completely alien to you.

Her stare turned even more intent. "Then someone, someone you viewed as your friend went and said you were a pervert because you looked at your new form in a mirror, and, so the kami forbid, touched your body. If you were Ranma, how would you react?"

Akane expelled her breath in a long suffering sigh. "I-I would be angry. Angry and confused. Damn, I screwed up, huh?" she muttered, balled her right hand into a fist and punched it into her left palm out of anger at herself.

"Pretty darn big, sis." Nabiki confirmed and rolled her eyes. "If that had been me I'd have clobbered you into next week for that relapse. Honestly, I'm surprised that you're still here and in one piece to boot."

The youngest Tendo sighed again and placed her head in her palms. "Why is it that I always judge Ranma wrong?" she asked herself, before sighing once more. "It's a good thing we did not become engaged, that wouldn't have ended well."

"I agree, imoutochan." Kasumi said, laying a hand on Akane's shoulder. "You two are just too similar, too stubborn and prideful, not to mention temperamental. Then there's the fact that you don't trust boys, which would have... complicated things."

"That's putting it mildly." Nabiki snorted.

The brown eyes of oldest Tendo sister locked Akane's gaze, giving her no chance to formulate a reply. "Akane, you'll have to swallow your pride and apologise to Ranma, and you should do it soon. Best after she returns from her jog."

"You're right." Akane admitted with yet another long suffering sigh. "But why have you been calling Ranma 'she'? I'm sure he would insist otherwise."

"That may be," Kasumi replied with a sigh, "yet it would just not do to call Ranma by anything other than the correct gender-suffix, not while he's locked in female form. Akane, society expects a certain behaviour of us, and naming persons and things correctly is one of them.

"Ranma may be a boy inside, but that doesn't change that he is a she at the moment. There's no way that anyone will mistake Ranma for a boy at the moment, not with these curves." she added with a chuckle.

"Too true." Nabiki agreed with a nod. "She's a right knockout, and we can count ourselves lucky if she doesn't draw crowds of admirers. I really hope that she'll find a lead to that Kaisufu soon; for I don't think that Ranma would take very well to the curse."

Kasumi nodded. "True. But there's no doubt in my mind that Ranma will manage to get the lock off. The question is will she be able to do it in time?

"If the curse is indeed for keeps we'll have to do our best to get used to it. I for my part want to keep the engagement even in this case. Ranma is Ranma, regardless of the outer package. He's honourable, honest, brave and a man of morals, and so much more mature than other males of his age group. And who knows, maybe changing into a female might give him some pointers on what women go through."

"Or more importantly, on how to please a woman." Nabiki added with a saucy smirk.

"That too." Kasumi conceded with a feint blush, while Akane exclaimed a scandalised "Nabiki!"

Said middle Tendo daughter fixed her younger sister with a stare. "Oh stop being such a prude, for Kami-samas sake! Just as Ranma has proven, not every boy is a pervert; and you can believe me, there're several decent guys out there, its just a matter of finding them. Though methinks that the one guy for you has to be baked." she jested.

"Very funny, sis." Akane growled. "Har har."

-.-

**Five minutes earlier**

Ranma stomped upstairs in the foulest mood she could remember, and that was saying something. The fathers had scattered like leaves in the wind upon seeing her face, and she swore that she was a hairsbreadth from turning SSJ from sheer anger.

She entered her room and had to keep iron clad control over her emotions to not accidentally damage the interior; she barely managed to open the door without knocking it of its hinges despite her best efforts and undressed, firing her pyjama into the far corner to her right. She scowled angrily as she retrieved underwear, her black flowing pants and a red silk shirt, dressed in a flash and jumped out of the window.

The boy turned girl didn't even notice that she unconsciously used her ki to slow her fall, and as she descended from her window to the ground she looked like an avenging angel. The thoughts of this 'angel' were however not pure at all.

**'How dare Akane accuse me of something like that!'** she thought furiously, and her eyes flashed briefly teal before she got her emotions in check; she barely registered the landing and started jogging automatically—her feet taking her in a left turn away from the dojo. **'Me, being a pervert for looking at my current form, a form for that I'm not to blame at all! If she wants to promote a crucible she can go and hunt that old fossil down, damn it!'**

Jogging at a slow pace—for her—she concentrated on her breathing, something that always helped her focus. She deftly ignored the admiring looks several boys shot her way and sped up her pace to gain some distance; once she'd reached the outskirts of Nerima—which brought her the solitude she'd sought—Ranma felt the need to train her balance to get used to her changed centre of gravity.

She jumped up onto the chain-fence that ran along the storm drain in a swift jump and continued to jog. "Damn, I'm just glad that Kasumi and Nabiki took my side. Both didn't make fun of me or anything, and both were nothing but supportive. Man, am I ever glad that I didn't get engaged to Akane!" she growled as she slowed down to a walk, putting her hands behind her back to relax for a bit.

Suddenly part of the fence she was walking on gave out under her, and she reflexively jumped onto the next section, thus avoiding a fall into the canal, or so it seemed. However, the next part was equally damaged, and all of a sudden Ranma found herself on a free fall into the canal. Grumbling to herself she used her ki to stop her fall and literally came to a stop on the watery surface of the canal.

"Miss, are you alright?" someone asked from above.

The voice broke her concentration and Ranma immersed into the cool water up to her calves. "What?" she asked as she looked up, surprised.

"Here, grab this, I'll pull you up." a middle-aged woman exclaimed, holding down something wrapped in a piece of cloth.

"Err, thanks, but that isn't really necessary." Ranma answered, crouched low and jumped upwards and out of the canal, landing beside the surprised woman.

"Oh my, you're good!" the woman exclaimed.

"Thank you." Ranma said with a smile. "I sure as hell trained long enough for it."

"Ha ha, you talk like a boy, dear. You must behave properly, like a girl!" the woman commented as she smiled up at Ranma.

"Err…" was all a weirded out Ranma could think to say.

The woman smiled at her. "Good bye. I have to be somewhere else…"

"Hmm, what a nice woman…" Ranma mused to herself as she resumed her jog.

-.-

Not ten minutes later Ranma had returned to the Tendo Dojo, announcing her presence as she opened the sliding door. "Hello, I'm back!"

"Very good, Ranma. We'll be going on a training trip!" her father exclaimed as he swept her off the ground at full run, in complete training gear.

"What?" was all Ranma could exclaim as she was carried away. "What the hell is going on here? Why are we leaving so suddenly?"

"We don't have any time to lose!" Genma exclaimed, still in full run.

"Wait, Saotome," someone suddenly exclaimed from behind, Soun, as Ranma realised from his voice, "you won't get away without a decent explanation."

That said Soun tripped Genma, toppling both Genma and Ranma to the ground. Genma landed heavily on Ranma who oofed and growled, but as soon as she had gathered her bearings again her vista fell upon a postcard. "What?"

_'Dear Genma,_

_soon I'll be with you._

_Nodoka.'_

it read.

Soon Genma sat bound in the Tendo living room, frantically pushing against his bounds. "RAAAAH! Let me go!"

"Hmm, ever since he has read this card he's completely beside himself." Nabiki commented from her usual cushion to Ranma's left. "Nodoka? That's a woman's name, isn't it?"

Kasumi—who'd taken her usual cushion as well—had turned to the most likely source for answers. "Who is she?" she asked Genma with a curious expression.

"Oh for heavens sake! Oh for heavens sake!" Genma chanted, apparently not able to form coherent sentences. A foot to the head courtesy of a very irate Ranma-chan seemed to solve this problem just fine.

"Hey, what have you pulled again, pop?" she asked with a growl.

"What are you talking about?" Genma retorted.

Ranma scowled. "I'm talking about you, pop. You've done something again! Don't even pretend!"

"Boy, it saddens me how you talk with your poor father!" Genma exclaimed, fake-tears rolling down his cheek.

"Ahh, that's it! You owe her money!" Nabiki exclaimed.

"Oh, I bet she owns a restaurant and he hasn't paid the bill…" Akane mused.

"Or he has raided her fridge." Kasumi mused with a meaningful glance.

"No!" Genma exclaimed forcefully. "It's completely different, it's ..."

"Oh, there's someone at the door!" Kasumi exclaimed.

"UAAAH! That's her!" Genma exclaimed with a frightened expression, falling to the ground. "Forgive me, Ranma!"

"What?" Ranma-chan asked, completely confused, only to grow very angry seconds later. "Out with it!" she exclaimed, lifting Genma up by the scruff of his neck.

"Yes? I'm listening." Ranma-chan urged.

Genma mumbled something that suspiciously sounded like "Forgive me, momma."

"Momma?" Nabiki repeated incredulous.

"She's Ranma's mother?" Kasumi asked, likewise surprised.

"I really have a mother?" Ranma wondered.

"It's my wife!" Genma exclaimed.

Soun opened the door to reveal a chubby woman. "I came to get the plates. You ordered sushi, no?"

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Saotome." Soun replied with a bow.

Genma shook his head violently. "No, no! That's not my wife!"

He received a bop to the head courtesy of Ranma. "Hey, old man! The card... it's from my mother, right?"

"Ranma's mother..." Kasumi began.

"... is visiting us, right?" Nabiki finished.

Genma just puffed in answer, which was good enough for Ranma. **'My mother?'** she thought, stunned.

"How nice, Ranma." Kasumi said, placing a hand around her waist.

Ranma remained silent. "Ranma, aren't you happy?" Nabiki asked with obvious concern in her voice.

The redhead looked introspective. "You know, that's all a bit sudden... I don't even remember her..." she trailed off with a thoughtful expression.

"HELLO!" suddenly rang throughout the compound, uttered by a distinctively female voice.

"Ranma, come on!" Nabiki exclaimed, running towards the main-gate.

"I wonder what she looks like." Kasumi mused, running after her sister.

"Oh, that's so exciting, just like in a soap opera!" Akane gushed, following the others.

Genma held Ranma-chan back. "Ranma, I forbid you from telling your mother that you're her son. If you do, you'll regret it." he stated, before jumping into the koi-pond.

"What have you done now?" Ranma-chan muttered, rolling her eyes. "And why do I have the feeling that I'll have to suffer because of you?"

-.-

While Ranma and Genma hid behind the house the Tendos had reached the main-gate, which Soun opened. "Yes, how may I help you?" he asked formally.

"Good day!" a beautiful middle aged woman exclaimed. She was clad in a formal but stylish kimono, and carried a cloth-wrapped bundle.

"The same to you, ma'am." Soun replied, bowing.

The woman tilted her head. "I've come to know that you're hosting my husband and son..."

Kasumi and Nabiki shared a look. That was Ranma's mother?

Ranma, who was peering at the happening from under her Umi looked as startled. "But... but that's the lady from a few minutes ago!_That_ is my mother?"

**  
to be continued**…

**  
Thanks for reading. Also, thanks to everyone for helping me out with suggestions, comments, ideas and c&c in general. **

**Special thanks go to the people at Shinjis board for their continued great help. **

**And last but not least, many thanks to my beta for this story, Ordieth. **

**  
**As always, comments and constructive crit are welcome and appreciated. Till next.

**  
A/N: some general news… I used the last weekends**—**and the time I spent setting up DSL at my uncle's and aunt's place**—**to expand on the draft I had for this chapter. **

**It'll be another five to six weeks before I'll get reliable net-connection again**—**I hijacked my uncle's net connection today to up this chapter, and I might be forced to do the same for my other works until the situation improves. For further details take a look at my profile.**

**Now to the story… as can be seen, Ranma receiving the curse was not a plot hole. I decided early on to include this plot twist—I, and nobody else. Innortal made said suggestion, but it was me who made the decision to implement it. **

**And I implemented it for a simple reason; to include the Nodoka and Herb arcs. What do you think would have happened had Nodoka found Ranma without the plot twist? "My son is so manly!", victory dance and so on and so forth. Very interesting, ain't it?**

**The same for Herb. What reason would Ranma have had to fight Herbie, as one of my friends is wont to call the Dragon Prince(ss)? This twist makes things much more interesting and Ranma 1/2 like, and if some of you are bothered by it, shrug.**

**  
Many thanks to those of you who were kind enough to leave reviews for the last chapter. Sorry, I am not able to up the list as I am usually wont to do, but the problems mentioned in my profile prevent me from doing so. I'll hand it in as soon as I have my laptop back. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: A Legend Reborn Sidestory

**Author name**: Trugeta

**  
Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Akira Toriyama and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story.

Also, the OCs used in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is not intended and purely coincidental.

This story takes place after Movie 10 of Dragonball Z and at the beginning of the Ranma series. It's an AU, and reviews are welcome and appreciated.

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**  
Chapter 3: Saotome clash**

A feeling of tension dominated at the Tendo dojo, the reason for this tension being Ranma's mother, who had unexpectedly dropped by for a visit. While a visit from someone's mother was usually no reason for nervousness that ranged in the category 'oh shit, let's run for the hills!' it seemed to be what applied to this particular case. Yet neither Ranma nor the Tendos had an inkling as to why, and Genma Saotome, father of a currently female Ranma, was the only one privy to this knowledge, and he hadn't felt like sharing when he had practically fled the premises to hide from the woman named Nodoka with his son-turned-daughter in tow.

Ranma's mother, a beautiful auburn-haired woman with remarkable resemblance to the female form he was currently wearing had come to know that Ranma and his—now her—father were residing at the dojo, fact that Genma had obviously kept secret from his wife.

The reason why Genma had done so—not to mention his almost pleading request to not speak a word of their presence—had left the Tendo patriarch confused. Soun had no further time to dwell on it as he led Nodoka into the living room, where his daughters were already seated around the table.

"Ahem, where are my husband and son?" Ranma's mother inquired immediately after proper introductions had been made.

"Err, they've just left, yes, yes. Had to leave on an urgent training trip, I'm afraid," Soun replied, trying hard to hide his nervousness, which he was only partially successful at.

Nodoka reacted visibly sad to Soun's words and the master of the Tendo school as well as his daughters felt for the auburn haired woman, but the Tendo patriarch knew that Genma had to have his reasons for hiding from his wife, his daughters simply giving Genma Saotome the benefit of the doubt and assumed the same for the time being. Soun's face showed that he felt for her, then beckoned Ranma's mother to take a seat as he was sitting down in his usual spot himself.

The Saotome matriarch smiled thankfully and took Soun up on the offer, taking the cushion across from Soun at the other side of the table. Kasumi poured the woman some tea and offered cookies, and soon they listened to Ranma's mother spilling her heart.

-.-

Genma Saotome's own heart was literally in his mouth as he hid behind the house with his son-turned-daughter. He knew how Nodoka would react upon seeing the boy as he—or rather she—was at present beyond the shadow of a doubt. His wife was the most beautiful and dutiful woman he could ever have wished for, but her odd quirks could kill him and Ranma, literally so. The only course of action available to him to avoid this dreadful fate was simple: they had to bide their time and derail an encounter with Nodoka until Ranma had managed to find a way to undo his affliction, or they could kiss their asses—or rather their heads—good bye. And that was not an option.

Ranma for her part was confused and still asked herself what the heck was going on. She had wanted to insist on meeting her mother, but the genuinely frightened behaviour of her father had stopped her cold; the panda was somewhat of a coward, but he had to have a very good reason to hide from a wife—provided this woman was her mother and not some stranger he had screwed over—he hadn't seen in over ten years, and one that was so very beautiful that any man of thirty and beyond would want to ravish her.

No, her father wasn't a real coward, yet he had begged his old friend Soun to come up with a lie, seeing that their lives were at stake, whatever that cryptic remark meant. How could she be in danger from her own mother? That exactly was the question on Ranma's mind at present, a question she decided to voice.

"What do you mean, I'm risking my neck should she see me? You can tell me, pops, who's this woman?" she inquired.

Her pandafied father's head swivelled around to her. **# As I said already, your mother, #** Genma-panda signed.

Ranma socked her father in the head, the force of the blow turning said head to the right side. "Spill the beans, pops! Such a beautiful woman can't be married to someone like you!" she hissed.

Silence met her as her father continued to gaze at her with not a hint of deception in his eyes, and Ranma finally asked "She really is my mother?"

The pandafied Genma limited himself to a nod and deemed that enough of an answer.

"Good. Then there's no reason to hide from her if you didn't screw her over," the redhead commented and made move to enter the house.

-.-

Nodoka was presently engrossed in telling the Tendos her tale. She had just explained that Genma had told her shortly after Ranma's birth that he must be raised away from her motherly love and influence so that he could—and would—become manly enough to inherit the Saotome school of Martial Arts. Nodoka was just about to explain the vow Ranma and Genma had made when sudden racket from the outside interrupted her.

"That's a girl's voice," Nodoka said. "My, her manners are not very womanly."

"You don't know the half of it," Akane muttered, only to be on the receiving end of two glares which she shrugged off.

Nodoka on her part hadn't heard her and had stepped outside. The sight that greeted her was unusual, to say the least. On the porch lay—unbeknownst to her—the still twitching form of her pandafied husband, and he sported a set of painful looking lumps on his head. Ranma was towering over him, a look of fury adorning her face.

"Oh, it's you!" Nodoka exclaimed smilingly as recognition set in. "The girl I met at the storm drain! My, you're still acting like a tomboy! How do you ever want to catch yourself a fine husband if you act like that?" she scolded good-naturedly.

Ranma's face darkened as her head swivelled towards her mother. "Don't want to, don't need to. Ever," she replied with finality in her voice.

Nodoka politely ignored Ranma's tone and smiled reassuringly. "Oh my, I'm sure you'll find your man in time. It's just too bad my Ranma's spoken for, you'd make him a good bride," she sighed, making Ranma turn green.

Genma-panda had recovered in the meantime, and he managed to sweep Ranma off her feet in a surprise sneak attack—his audacity simply leaving her too stunned to react—, carrying her off into the house.

Nodoka stood there, stunned. "What a strange panda," she managed to utter.

Four sets of heads nodded their assent immediately.

-.-

Soun had been surprised by Genma's behavior yet again; his old friend would normally never risk drawing Ranma's ire-and his, or rather her temper seemed to only have worsened after the change. For him risking severe bodily harm anyway meant he had a real good reason to avoid Ranma meeting Nodoka, and his resolve to help his old friend out by deflecting his wife grew.

"Why don't you come in and we'll have some tea, Nodoka. This way I could tell you what a nice young man Ranma is. The boy's managed to sweep my two oldest off their feet, and both are affianced to him," Soun said, leading Nodoka towards the table by the shoulder.

Those had been the magic words. "Oh my, he must be so manly!" Nodoka gushed, her face beaming.

Soun nodded pridefully, "Yes, that he is. He even faced the dreaded master without fear, and managed to defeat him in a truly epic battle."

"The master? My, he_is_ manly!" Nodoka exclaimed, her smile widening in pride.

"Just not at the moment…" Akane whispered with a shrug, unheard.

-.-

While Soun was busy praising Ranma said young man-turned-woman had been dragged into the guestroom on the first floor, well out of earshot of Nodoka. That and only that had been the reason why Ranma had kept her temper in check at being treated this way.

"What the fuck's going on!" she hissed with a look of unbridled fury on her face as soon as Genma-panda had let her to the ground, "Spill! And don't give me some cryptic shit or I swear I'm gonna hit you so hard you're gonna fly all the way to Jupiter!" she threatened, getting to her feet smoothly as a jaguar.

**# Hmm, I need to change back… #** Flip. **# Be right back, boy, #** her father signed, running out of the room.

Ranma fumed. Not only did her first talk with her mother after eleven years not sit very well with her, if it could even be called a talk, that is, no, she was also wasting her time here. She should have been out and about searching for the Kaisufu instead of sitting here, and if her stupid father wouldn't tell her everything that was going on here she'd skin him alive and sell his fur to the highest bidder!

It was no surprise that Genma flinched back from the venomous glare that was directed his way when he came back, and the Saotome patriarch was immensely glad that this cursed form was—hopefully!—just temporary. Ranma as his daughter reminded him way too much of Nodoka for his taste, and his son-turned-daughter had the strength to make good on any one threat she uttered, which would be very detrimental for his continued good health.

Banishing these thoughts Genma plopped down onto the futon with a deep sigh, the decision to be completely open and honest with his child not coming easy to him.

"Boy… son, I've made many mistakes in my life, and quite a few have come back to haunt me. The one mistake I made with your mother I regret in particular. No, not what you think," he soothed at seeing her expression, "I love No-chan very much, but in hindsight, well, I shouldn't have made this one promise to her."

Her father's words _had_ soothed Ranma, and she believed him when he said that he loved her mother; she had seen it in his eyes. But… "What do you mean, promise? And why do I have the feeling that I won't like what I'll be hearing?" the redhead deadpanned, spearing him with her gaze.

Genma sweated and wiped and errant drop of sweat from his forehead. "Heh heh, because you won't. You see, No-chan didn't want to let me go on this training trip with you, and I had to give her the right incentive at that time," he replied, shrugging sheepishly.

"Incentive?" Ranma echoed, having the distinct feeling that this did not bode well.

Her father nodded, his face gaining a serious look. "Yes. No-chan is very earnest and honourably. Honour is the most important thing in her life, above all else. The family honour is sacred to her, which makes this situation so difficult.

"Ranma, I had a reason why I wanted to take you on this training trip. You were—and are—my only son, you were fated to become my heir. I had to train you in the family Art, and that was only possible away from home; I had to eliminate the influences of No-chan's motherly love, for she'd have made you soft.

"I'm aware that this may sound heartless, but you were and are the last in the line of the Saotomes, and I had to do my all to make you fit to carry the fate of our school on your shoulders so that its continued existence was assured. You may hate me now, or maybe not, but I did what I had to do. I know I had my shortcomings and made many mistakes in your upbringing, but I did everything so that you could become my heir, Ranma."

Ranma had listened very intently to her father's words, and she viewed him in a different light for the first time in long, now that she had seen a new facet of him that had before always been buried under his martial arts instructor persona. Sure, he had sold her for food, but if she thought about it, that had only ever happened after their 'saviours' had demanded something in exchange as payment for their 'hospitality'; and the only thing her father had had to offer at that time had been her hand—or rather his, at the time—in marriage.

The only time he had ever really screwed up had been while subjecting her to the neko-ken, and she doubted that she'd ever be able to forget that; but maybe now, that she understood her father a bit better she'd be able to forgive him. In time. Besides, considering his tendency to act before thinking—especially if the bottomless pit he called a stomach demanded filling—it was practically a given that she'd have more than enough opportunity and reason to clobber him into next week time and again.

The redhead shook herself out of her introspective mood, and a look at her father told her that he was waiting for an answer. "I understand, pops. That doesn't mean that I'm not cross with you, though, got it? Have you ever stopped to ask what my hopes and dreams in this life are?

"No, you haven't. Nobody has ever paused to ask me, except Kasumi and Nabiki. Everyone else simply decided what I wanted in my stead, decided what was supposedly good for me, which is the exact reason why I took control of my life after my change. You and everybody else can consider yourselves lucky that I love fighting, and that I'd never turn my back on the Art. But now out with it, what makes me meeting mom so dangerous?"

Genma looked at his son-turned-daughter in surprise—and grudging respect—for a few moments, before bringing himself back to reality. "I was stupid enough to make a vow, Ranma. A very specific vow, and I committed the cardinal sin when I put it into writing. I was so determined to leave that I convinced Nodoka to agree to an honour pact, not that your mother needed much convincing, mind you," he shrugged with a lop-sided grin on his round face. "In short, I made the vow to raise you into a man among men, and should I fail we'd both commit seppuku. Which makes this whole situation a bit, err, problematic, heh heh."

Ranma's face turned into an expressionless mask as she vigorously clamped down on her rising anger. "I swear, only in my fucked up life," she cursed as she paced like a caged tiger, Genma's watchful eyes following her every move.

The pigtailed Saiyan came to a halt and turned narrowing blue eyes on her father. "One sec, pops, how did you get me to agree to it? Needn't I have signed it to make it valid or something?" she asked with a frown.

"I, err, sorta tricked you into signing it, heh heh. I, uhh, let you play with finger-paint, and you, ahh, signed the contract," Genma replied, sweating bullets.

Ranma's mood darkened. "Figures. I just knew I'd find a new reason to pound you flat before the day was over, and it's only 9 a.m. Pops, you really are talented, you know that?

"No need to answer, that was a rhetorical question. So you really think mom would force us to go through with that? Just ram a knife into my belly and let myself be beheaded 'cause some stupid old man got me cursed and locked, or what? You know, I hate the absurdity that is my life. What am I, the universes' spittoon?" Ranma growled, her eyes briefly flashing teal.

"You know what, pops?" she queried after a few moments, "I'll go downstairs right now and say hello to mom. If she wants to force me to commit seppuku I'll just have to tell her to sod off to where the pepper grows. I'm a warrior, a member of the Z-Fighters, and I sure as hell won't kill myself over a stupid piece of paper I don't even remember signing.

"If mom's the way you assume, that is," she added.

"What about your honour, Ranma? You swore an oath on an honour pact," Genma reasoned in an outwardly calm tone, yet his mind ran a mile a minute as it went over everything that could go pear-shaped.

Ranma's blue eyes drilled holes into her father. "Pops, where's the honour in killing myself in a way so completely meaningless? What would it prove? That I don't measure up to some standard I didn't even know I had to meet simply due to circumstances beyond my control? Besides, this is a temporary thing, and mom can have her son as manly as she wants as soon as I got my hands on the Kaisufu," the redhead exclaimed determinedly.

"There's no convincing you otherwise, is there?" Genma asked with a sigh, already knowing the answer. "Figured as much. Wait a moment…"

The Saotome patriarch trudged out of the room, only to reappear in his panda form a few seconds later. **# There. This way I can pretend that I'm just a simple panda #** Flip. **# should things get rough. Knowing you they will. #**

Ranma shook her head in mirth and smiled in spite of herself. "Some things never change…"

-.-

Nodoka had told the Tendos much the same story in the meantime, and each of the four privately agreed that things didn't bode well for Ranma. Even considering that her current gender was but a temporary thing, this didn't change the fact that the Saotome youth wouldn't measure up to the wording of the contract at present. Add to it that the Saotome matriarch had made very clear that she intended to see the contract through should Ranma prove to be unmanly, which made the situation quite dangerous.

But they had also noticed the profound sadness and loneliness, yes, the longing that was obvious in Nodoka's posture, and their hearts went out to the woman who hadn't seen husband nor child in over ten years.

Soun had just offered Nodoka that she could stay over night when Ranma came downstairs, much to the surprise of everyone present bar Nodoka.

"Oh, it's you again!" Nodoka exclaimed with a smile. "I didn't even learn your name…"

"It's Ranma," said teenager said in a carefully neutral voice. Fact that made everyone present gulp.

"Oh, that's funny, my son is also named Ranma," Nodoka said with a smile. "I think he has to be around your age. Odd, your looks remind me of someone…"

Soun gulped and his daughters exchanged alarmed gazes, but Ranma deftly ignored the worried looks. "I get the good looks from you, mom," she said outspoken, her eyes almost challengingly fixed on her mother.

Nodoka fell back onto her cushion from surprise, and the entire room gasped. "What did you do that for, you idiot! Do you _want_ to die?" Nabiki hissed, not believing what she'd just witnessed.

"No," Ranma said defiantly, "but I ain't hiding either. I'm a warrior, and warriors don't run away from conflicts, physical or otherwise."

Her mother's face showed surprise and disbelief, and she shook her head as if to clear it. "I don't know what you're trying to pull here, Miss," she spoke in a disapproving voice that matched her frowning facial expression, "but it is not funny. My son is, according to Mr. Tendo, a manly man. You are a girl, and therefore you can't be a child of mine. Don't you think I'd remember having given birth to a daughter?"

Ranma realised that her mother was completely unresponsive and would hardly believe her without proof which she had no way of offering, and pasting a neutral expression on her face she adapted her approach quickly, deciding to test the waters, "Just out of interest," she exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips as she changed the topic, "what do you define as a 'manly man'? What makes a man manly in your opinion?"

That question threw Nodoka off track for a second, but just a second. Then her eyes glazed over. "Well, his healthy interest in women, of course. Why, I consider a man manly if he peeps in on girls. Having many girls interested in him, yes, that I consider manly too. And making me a grandmother if he hasn't already, of course!"

Not just Ranma was taken aback by this. "That son you describe there sounds like a poster-boy for a pervert!" Akane exclaimed, disgusted.

"I have to agree, sis," Nabiki mused under the incredulous stare of Nodoka, her own expression carefully neutral, "So, what standards does Ranma have to meet to fulfil the contract? How many mistresses does he have to have?" she inquired, and she was hard-pressed to keep her voice neutral.

"And how many illegitimate kids?" Ranma added sarcastically, who had no such inhibitions.

**# Oh no! #** Genma-panda signed with a fearful look. **# What are they doing? What in Kami-sama's name are they doing? They're ruining all our hard work! #**

Soun nodded in dismay. "Let's leave before we get dragged into this disaster, old friend. How does sake in our regular pub sound?"

**# Lead the way, Tendo. #** Flip. **# The sooner we get away from this disaster and really, really plastered, the better, # **Flip. **# The boy's way too stubborn to get himself killed anyway, so we needn't fear for the schools. #**

"Agreed, old friend," Soun replied, nodding sagely.

Not ten seconds later the two aging masters had made their exit, and seeing how focussed the women were none of them had noticed.

-.-

Nodoka's attention was solely fixated on Ranma, who stared back unflinchingly. "I don't understand. You're making it seem as if being manly was something despicable," she finally said with a frown.

"Saotome-san, don't take this the wrong way, but with your definition of a 'man among men' you'd be laughed out of court should you decide to force the contract through, for whatever reason. How old was Ranma when he supposedly signed the contract, by the way?" Nabiki asked casually, hoping to get the conversation under control, which wouldn't be easy seeing that Ranma seemed to have much more of a temper in female form.

**'Damn is Ranma angry. I wonder if she wants to try and see how her mother will react to the curse if she pretends it's permanent. In my opinion things could turn very ugly very fast in that case,'** the middle Tendo surmissed, her mind running a mile a minute as it considered all the things that could go wrong if not handled carefully.

Nodoka for her part couldn't see what could be wrong with her views on manliness, but decided to concentrate on the threads Nabiki had brought up. "Five. Why?"

The middle Tendo daughter suppressed a smirk and calmly gazed at Ranma's mother with her business face firmly in place. "Simple. If this information is accurate then you have a few legal problems. Ranma was in no way or form capable of realising what it was that he had signed there given his age at that time, he probably saw it as some kind of game.

"And barring any real signature your contract would topple over like dominos. Add to this that Ranma was not legally competent, and in matters of such a contract the agreement can't be surrogated. That makes your contract invalid, Saotome-sama. Should you decide to force the issue despite that I'm pretty sure you'd even lose custody of Ranma. Let alone the existence of the contract could call your fitness as a parent into doubt. You have much to lose if you insist on the contract's fulfilment."

"W-What?" Nodoka whispered. "No, that can't be. We made a binding honour pact, one to which Ranma agreed,

"They _have_ to commit seppuku if Ranma turns out to be unmanly. The contract is the only thing I had that reminded me of them, the only thing that kept me going," she whispered, interrupting herself.

The Saotome matriarch cleared her throat and looked back at Nabiki, her composure completely reestablished, not a crack visible in her stoic facade. "It's a matter of family honour that Ranma be manly, and there's nothing more important than family honour."

"So I... Ranma has to kill himself if he doesn't have at least one wife, two mistresses and four kids, huh?" Ranma spat, finally failing to keep her rising Saiyan temper in check.

"And that's another point," Nabiki cut in before Nodoka could retort, which would likely have made Ranma even angrier, "the contract is so vague, you could demand anything of Ranma. 'Ranma, if you're not ten foot tall, built like Hercules and father of ten kids you have to commit seppuku'. See my point, Nodoka-san? If you insisted on the fulfilment of the contract the Saotome name would take further damage."

That caught Nodoka's attention. "_Further_ damage?" she echoed.

Nabiki met the disbelieving stare of Nodoka without batting a lash. "Yes. Let's just say your husband stepped out of line several times during the training trip, and your family name suffered for it. You can get a compendium if you want. Fact is that the Saotome family honour is already questionable, and it would be reduced to shreds if you were to enforce this invalid contract," she concluded gravely.

"B-But Ranma must be manly!" Nodoka protested, something akin to shock showing in her brown eyes.

"Saotome-san, what is more important? Your family honour that has already been damaged and would cease to exist, or the life of your child?!" Kasumi asked incredulously, her brown eyes fixing Nodoka's.

"You're talking as if Ranma were unmanly, why is that?" Nodoka sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again she looked stern. "Ranma has given his word that he'd go through with the contract should I find him wanting, and a manly man always keeps his word regardless the circumstances, come there hell or high water," she added with conviction.

Ranma's face darkened, and her fiancées, who had watched her avidly, exchanged worried looks. "Thank you, that's all I wanted to know," the redhead growled dangerously calm, got up and walked out of the room with movements resembling an angry predator.

"I'll go after her," Kasumi said and hurriedly stood up; her sisters nodded, Nabiki briefly shooting her older sister a grateful look before turning her head back to fixate Nodoka.

Said woman looked at Kasumi's retreating back in confusion, having no idea of the significance of what had just transpired. She switched her concentration back to the remaining Tendo sisters with a shrug and paid the behaviour of the strange girl no heed.

Nabiki shook her head, and her face showed a look of grim determination as she walked over towards a cupboard to retrieve her camera and back to the table on which the seppuku pledge so innocently lay. The middle Tendo daughter brought her camera in position and took a couple of shots with a carefully neutral expression.

"What are you doing?" Nodoka inquired with a raised brow, confusion showing on her face.

"Securing proofs, Nodoka-san," Nabiki retorted coldly, her face impassive. "If you need to ask what for, well, with that material I'll get a restraining order any time."

Nodoka looked shocked. "You'd do that to a mother who hasn't seen her son in over ten years?" she queried incredulous, her calm composure slipping to some degree.

"I'd do it to a mother who is willing to kill her own child over something idiotic. I care for Ranma, very much so in fact, and I'll do what is necessary to protect the one I love," Nabiki retorted.

"While looking out for your fiancé is commendable in a fiancée, I can't approve of it in this case. I'm his mother, I have the final say," Nodoka retorted sternly, and it was plain as day that she expected Nabiki to back down.

The middle Tendo daughter was about to retort, when suddenly a loud, angry yell could be heard from outside. And then the windows began to rattle...

-.-

**Two minutes earlier**

Ranma was fuming mad. She'd hardly have believed that she could get as angry at another person as she was at the old fossil, but her mother had proven her wrong. "So honour is more important to her than my life, yeah? I can't believe her!" she spat, and didn't notice that she began to float.

Kasumi, who had followed her outside, did; the older of Ranma's fiancees recognised the need to vent in her iinazuke, and she couldn't blame her. **'Oh Ranma, nothing is ever easy for you, it seems. I can hardly imagine something worse than having your own mother tell you that honour is more important than your life. And she even insists on it after Nabiki has proven her contract invalid... sigh. My poor Ranma,' **she thought sadly, and her heart went out to the man-turned-woman who had been through so much lately. And by the look of things Ranma's situation would probably get worse before improving.

Kasumi watched silently as Ranma steadily floated upwards, all the while muttering to herself. "I mean, what the fuck... Nabs has proven her wrong, and she carries on like Nabs hadn't said a word. And Ka-chan... she questioned 'mother's' beliefs in a way that showed dear 'mother's' priorities fuckin' crystal clear," she muttered angrily.

"What the fuck's wrong with her? There _is _no honour in obliging to the terms of that fuckin' stupid contract! Damn it!" Ranma growled, feeling her power respond to her emotions.

"AARRAAAAAARGGHHH!" she suddenly yelled out in anger and rage, and shockwaves of pure power went out from her as Ranma turned SSJ.

The shockwave resulting from the power-up threw Kasumi onto her butt—but the oldest Tendo daughter landed softly on the grassy soil and got back to her feet immediately due to her training—and shook the Tendo Dojo in its foundations; it also rattled the windows in a five kilometre radius, but Ranma didn't seem to have any inclination to stop. Her aura steadily grew in size as her power shot up and up, and Kasumi marvelled at the awesome display. **'Pour your anger out, Ranma. Let it all go.'**

And angry Ranma was. Her furious thoughts circled around the question why people always tried to control her life in any way and form, and her anger was slowly reaching a climax. **'Damn her! My mother... My own mother ain't interested in me, in what happened to me, my experiences, my accomplishments, anything! The only fuckin' thing she cares 'bout is how manly I am, how many girls I screw and how many grandkids I can give her!**

**'I fuckin' hate it!'**she thought furiously as she slowly began to immerse herself into her SSJ-powers, her aura flaring ever brighter. **'How dare she try to judge me anyway? I don't need her! All I need is my mates, nothing more. **

**'No one bosses me around, I'm Ranma Saotome, I'm my own person, and I don't take orders from some 'mother' who just happens to come crashin' into my life after ten years of absence. I'll show 'mom' that I'm far too powerful to take shit from her! She wants to kill me? Then she can try to combat this power!'**

With that Ranma raised her power level to its maximum, and the young SSJ noticed in the back of her mind that her power had grown. The major part of her mind was dominated by the need to vent, however, and filed this information away for late review; that her display of power would show her mother that she was more than pissed at her harebrained attitude was but a side-effect, yet one she whole-heartedly welcomed. Her might would also impress on anyone that she'd remain independent, as well as that she had the power to protect her mates. Anyone who dared to challenge her, anyone who was stupid enough to challenge her would pay the price. Including her 'mother'.

-.-

"What in Kami-sama's name is going on here?" a voice exclaimed from behind Kasumi. Nodoka. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed when she caught sight of the transformed Ranma.

Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi were as awed by the transformation as the Saotome matriarch, and even though they had witnessed a comparable power play in the past it was incredible yet again; the feeling of power in the air was palpable, and it was still growing, fuelled by the anger and fury Ranma felt. "What _is_ she?" Nodoka asked when she had regained control of her vocal-cords.

"Mightily pissed off, that's for sure," Akane said. "It seems that Ranma has become even stronger than what he was during the fight with Gohan."

Nabiki and Kasumi nodded their heads, pride and awe shining in their eyes. "'He'?" Nodoka asked, picking up on what the youngest Tendo daughter had said.

"Yes, he," Kasumi replied, deciding to be open with the woman who had given birth to Ranma; it didn't matter if she knew everything, she wouldn't be allowed to harm a hair on her iinazuke's body, "This is your son up there, and due to circumstances beyond his control he has been turned into a girl. Is it any surprise that he... she's furious because of your words?"

Nabiki sighed, her neutral expression faltering for a moment. "So much for damage control..."

Nodoka gasped. Then she examined the still furious Ranma-chan intently, and her look of surprise was gradually replaced by a look of recognition. "I should have seen it right away. He... She looks just like me," she said in wonder tinged with profound sadness.

She shook her head sadly, removed the cloth from the wrapped bundle and was just about to unsheathe her sword when an odd sound behind her stopped her. "I'd advise against that course of action, human."

"Hello Piccolo-san," Kasumi greeted with a bow of her head and a strained smile. "Maybe _you_ can try to talk some sense into Ranma's mother. She's dead set on beheading Ranma for being unmanly due to a honour pact she doesn't even remember; and it seems that our opinions don't matter what with us being 'youngsters'," she concluded, her tone slightly sarcastic.

Piccolo's first reaction was to raise a brow as his sharp mind processed the information, then his eyes narrowed on the apprehensive Nodoka, who couldn't make heads or tails of the situation. "W-What is going on here? Who are you? _What_ are you?" she asked, backing away slightly.

The tall Namek growled. "I'm Piccolo, a Namek and one of Ranma's mentors. And I don't take lightly to threats to my students, even if they originate from their parents. Now put that toothpick down before Ranma's instincts kick in and label you a threat. Believe me, you won't like the results, and I don't feel like mopping you up," he grumbled, his annoyed voice devoid of humour.

"Ranma won't view me as a threat! I'm his mother!" Nodoka protested.

Nabiki snorted elegantly, but managed to keep her expression neutral as her gaze bored into the older woman. "A mother he hasn't seen in over ten years. A mother, who wants his head for something that isn't even his fault. Oh no, you're no threat at all," she retorted sarcastically, beginning to lose her cool towards the end.

Piccolo looked at Kasumi while Nabiki took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "I'd like a quick but complete overview of what it was that sent Ranma's power level into orbit. I don't doubt that Gohan and Vegeta are already en route; they must think a new enemy has appeared, given her output," he exclaimed and nodded his head at the powered-up and floating Ranma whose large SSJ-aura was swirling around her body as she involuntarily rose higher into the air. "I advise you humans seek shelter, for it seems whatever has transpired it has made Ranma quite angry," he added dryly.

"You can say that again," Nabiki snorted, giving Nodoka a pointed look that wasn't missed by Piccolo.

"Step behind me everyone," Piccolo ordered and quickly erected a silver-glowing ki-shield in front of himself in order to protect the humans from the impending shock wave.

Just as Piccolo had said this Ranma opened her mouth, and a loud, angry scream escaped her lips. The scream was accompanied by a massive leap in her power level as angry thoughts kept on flashing through her mind; the need to remain in full control of her life—or at least in as much control as possible considering that some things could not be controlled—as well as the need to show her mates that she wouldn't leave them for anything in the world, least of all for a stupid seppuku contract that demanded she take her own life, caused her Saiyan nature to respond. Ranma's ki responded to her anger as her unique abilities as the Legendary Super Saiyan kicked in and led to a leap in power easily felt by anyone in the vicinity.

The power up came to an end when Ranma's mouth uttered the loudest scream yet, a scream that was accompanied by a resounding bang as her aura expanded to its maximum in an overwhelming explosion of power.

Fifty metres below Piccolo was straining to shield the human females from the effects of Ranma's power up as he hadn't expected the concussive blast to be this strong, but due to the fact that he hadn't slacked off one bit in his training ever since the end of the Cell Games seven years ago the tall Namek had a pool of ki easily comparable to that of a SSJ2 at his disposal; his ki-shield withstood and deflected the energetic backlash and the Namek stood proud and tall with his arms stretched out to both sides until the effects passed them by.

Astounded exclamations were uttered behind him and the Namekian warrior dropped the protective shield in order to turn around to the humans, only to find every single gaze solely fixated on Ranma; the young Saiyan warrior was still hanging suspended in midair at a height of about fifty metres, but the power she was exuding could easily be felt down at the ground. Her aura gave off the customary high pitched and powerful sound Piccolo had grown accustomed to from Gohan, and her current powerlevel was easily equivalent to Vegeta's.

Ranma's power had yet again significantly increased, the angry power she was emitting practically challenging anyone stupid enough to mess with her.

-.-

"Now that Ranma has gotten that out of her system," Piccolo began dryly, "would anyone be as kind as to tell me what led to this chain of events?"

"Of course, Piccolo-san," Kasumi replied after gathering her bearings and proceeded to fill Piccolo in, the Namek listening in rapt attention.

Half-way through Kasumi's account Piccolo noticed that he had indeed been correct pertaining to his hypothesis that Gohan and Vegeta were en route, for twin golden streaks had appeared and were steadily drawing nearer, and the Namek decidee to lay into Ranma's mother before his fellow Z-Fighters arrived. Maybe, just maybe he would be able to convince Nodoka of the repercussions making a Super Saiyan angry could entail, especially if this Saiyan gave in to his or her instincts.

Drawing himself up to appear even more menacing he fixed Nodoka with a glare once Kasumi had finished her recount. "I don't even pretend that I understand humans very well, but you I don't understand at all," he said and shook his turbaned head in disgust. "Irregardless, let me make one thing perfectly clear, Ranma is-"

"None of your business," interrupted Nodoka with flashing eyes, "You have no right to interfere where familial business is concerned, who- or whatever you are," she stated defiantly.

"On the contrary, human," Piccolo replied in a cold tone that only hinted at his annoyance, "Ranma is my student, which makes her my responsibility. That is what allows me to interfere in your 'familial business'. I must admit that I'm confused, woman.

"You have a healthy, honourable and most of all powerful child with great potential, and you want to kill her why? Because of a chance gender-change that doesn't fit into _your_ plans? I don't know much about genders being androgynous myself, but I thought both genders were valued equally," he snorted.

"Ranma has to be manly, and he signed a contract guaranteeing it. That's that. Seeing that my son has apparently become my daughter he is not and can not fulfil the terms of the contract. Therefore the effects of the contract will be invoked," Nodoka stated sternly.

Nabiki lost it. "How can anyone be so dead set on going through with something so idiotic!" she practically yelled, startling even Ranma, who had easily perceived the angry yell due to her acute hearing, out of her funk with her uncharacteristic loss of temper.

The golden haired neo-girl slowly floated downwards and touched down beside Nabiki, shaking her head as if to clear it. Her battle aura was still in place and gave off a continuous high pitched sound, and she literally basked in the awesome feeling of power at her command. It was different to anything she had ever experienced, the power flowing through her innermost core and veins like an exquisite wine, giving her the confidence that she could take on anything and everything if necessary, ensuring that she could protect her mates and herself at all events.

"Ahh, that did a world of good. I should blow off steam like this more often," she said in a calmer voice.

Then her eyes fell on the reason of her ire, and her face darkened yet again. "You! What are _you_ still doing here? If you think you can force me to commit seppuku you've got another thing coming! I will abso-fuckin'-lutely not honour this fuckin' dishonourable and invalid contract!" she spat, her face contorting in anger and disgust.

"B-But I'm your mother. You have to honour..." Nodoka protested with shock obvious in her voice.

Ranma scoffed, and her teal eyes displayed incredible anger as she cut her mother off. "You didn't see me in ten years, and now that I don't fit into your plans you want to throw me away like trash. So how are you my mother?" she retorted coldly, her golden aura flaring around her, illuminating her cold face.

Her retort left Nodoka fumbling for words, and Ranma used the opportunity to press on. "I'd have wanted a mother who takes me as I am, who'd have been interested in what has happened to me up to this point, who'd have cared enough to inquire why I am like this. Yet the only thing you're interested in is how fuckin' manly I am for whatever hairbrained reason. Mother, hah! Seeing your behaviour I don't want a mother at all!" she spat.

That shocked Nodoka to the core. "B-But the contract... Your honour..." she stammered.

Ranma laced her mother with a cold glare. "I care more about my honour than you seem to think, 'mother', thank you very much. But that _you_ value honour above the life of your child, me... I can't believe you! Without life there can't be honour, ever thought of that?

"Aside from that, seeing that the supposed contract is invalid its enforcal would be highly dishonourable itself. If you forced that through it'd go to court, and you can bet your life that I'd renounce my name. I'm pretty sure that Gohan's family would adopt me, seeing that I'm a fellow Saiyan and friend. Have you got it? I'll never submit myself to this contract that isn't worth the paper its written on!" Ranma concluded with a snarl, defiantly crossing her arms under her chest before letting her aura fade.

The part about completely severing her ties was a big bluff on her part seeing that there was a growing part of her that wanted to find out if reconciliation with the older woman was at all possible after she had been set straight, but seeing as her mother didn't know her at all it was likely to work. It was like with poker, if one was just dexterous enough one's bluffs wouldn't be found out as such.

That Vegeta landed just then added to her mother's confusion and aided her. The Saiyan Prince's curious expression intrigued her for a moment, but then his customary arrogant and superior expression was firmly back in place. Vegeta ignored everyone else as he walked up to Ranma, and the smirk the Saiyan Prince was wearing was nothing short of irritating. "Hah, now that's a temper I haven't seen in years. I could hear your tantrum from a mile away, brat," he exclaimed, his amused gaze meeting Ranma's unamused gaze. "So that is what you've been turned into. You make a passable onna, brat," the Saiyan Prince smirked.

Ranma growled back in answer, which caused Vegeta to smirk. "Was that an invitation, brat?" he queried with a smirk.

That caused Ranma to turn green in an instant. "Blech! Note to self: bleach mind as soon as possible. Eugh!" she exclaimed and pretended to wash her mouth out.

Gohan, who had in the meantime walked up to them, shook his head in amusement. "So that is what happened to you, Ranma. Dende told us that something _had_ happened and that you'd come around once you felt ready.

"Though I have to agree with Vegeta, you do make a more than passable girl," he finished with a teasing grin.

"He's got you there, stud. Or should I say babe?" teased Nabiki with an affectionate smile.

Ranma scowled, her eyes narrowing at the offending teens. "Har bloody har har, laugh it up, will ya. You try being turned into the opposite of what you were, and then you tell me how you like it," she growled at both teens, causing them to snicker even more due to the fact that she had looked very cute.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Nodoka interrupted, her question directed at Gohan and Vegeta, now completely lost. "And what in Kami-sama's name is a Saiyan?" she asked as an afterthought.

"Very destructive, that's for sure," Akane muttered under her breath, "And always very hungry," she added with a teasing grin.

Vegeta favoured Akane's comment with a snort and trained his eyes on Nodoka. "I'm Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans, human. Who are you?" he inquired in a commanding tone befitting his station as the Saiyan Prince.

"Vegeta, be nice," Gohan commented with a grumble.

The Saiyan Prince turned his head towards the younger Saiyan and scoffed. "I don't do nice, and you know it, brat," he retorted and shot Gohan a nasty look.

The older son of Son Goku shook his head at Vegeta's antics, but he was inwardly amused. Schooling his features Gohan pasted a neutral expression on his face and trained his eyes on Nodoka as well. "I'm Gohan Son, a friend and training partner of Ranma and also a Saiyan. In ways of an explanation, Saiyans are a warrior race not native to this world, and we are very powerful as you just witnessed from Ranma. Now, as much as Vegeta lacks tact, he's however right. Who are you?"

"I'm Ranma's mother," Nodoka stated defiantly.

"As far as I'm concerned in name only," Ranma spat with an angry scowl that caused Gohan and Vegeta to raise a brow and crossed her arms under her breasts, her temper getting the better of her.

Kasumi stepped behind Ranma and encircled her with her arms, putting them around the other girl's mid-section. "I know you're angry, Ranma, but I'm there for you," she whispered quietly.

The redhead lost her stormy expression and smiled, unfolded her arms and gently squeezed the hands of the older of her iinazukes. "Thank you, Kasumi. I appreciate it more than I can say. It's just..." her face darkened again, "I'm so angry. Finally some things were going my way.

"I had made peace with Ryoga, had two wonderful iinazukes I'd die for, and then BAM! The shit hits the fan. I mean, come on, which mother would kill her child, her only child, because of something that isn't even its fault? Only in my screwed up life, I swear!"

"B-But _I _won't kill you. Seppuku is a honoured tradition..." Nodoka began.

"Which has been as dead as a pet-rock for over a hundred years now," Nabiki interrupted with a scowl, which was even more intense than usual due to the fact that her sister was getting nookie and she not, "I warned you, Saotome-san, your living in the old days is going to cost you everything, Ranma in particular. And not via the 'honourable' way you envision.

"For you're forgetting one other important thing: Ranma is a Saiyan, and he has all those powers and abilities even as a she, and can use those abilities to help the weak. Do you honestly think Ranma would throw her life away in face of this responsibility, because you, a mother she hasn't seen in over ten years, says so?" Nabiki concluded in a 'come on' tone.

"With great power comes great responsibility, Saotome-san," Kasumi commented before Nodoka could retort. "Ranma is very powerful and has always fought for what is good and right. I have no doubt she weighs her duties as much more important than an invalid contract set up by your husband and you," she added, giving Ranma's hands a squeeze.

"Hell yeah!" Ranma exclaimed angrily.

"Which is the exact reason why we inducted Ranma into the ranks of the Z-Fighters, Saotome-san. He... She... Damn, that's confusing," he muttered, "Anyway, Ranma is honourable and would never use her powers to do evil," Gohan added. "Earth can't defend itself by itself, and neither can its inhabitants. We are the last and only line of defence against hostile aliens and would be tyrants, and Ranma is and will continue to be a great asset and comrade."

"Thanks, man," Ranma said with a smile.

"Be it as it is," Nodoka said, rubbing her temples, "I-"

Ranma growled and let go of Kasumi's hands; a few long strides brought the golden-haired girl in front of her mother. "No way in hell am I gonna throw my life away over something that isn't even my fault. If you try to force me you won't like the consequences," she promised with a dark look.

"If you continue on your path Ranma _will_ sever all ties to you. A true Saiyan doesn't go back on his or her word, and Ranma is a true Saiyan as far as I am concerned," Vegeta commented, his serious gaze resting on Nodoka.

Ranma inclined her head in gratitude, and turned her head to Gohan when the fellow Saiyan began to speak. "It is as Vegeta said. So Ranma's female for the time being; so what? Do you want to imply that this is reason enough to kill Ranma?"

"No," Nodoka replied, her face showing her confusion at facing such strong a opposition, "not kill—"

"Isn't forcing Ranma to commit Seppuku the same as killing her with your own hands? It's your will behind this illogical act, your will would force Ranma to throw her life away," Gohan stated, cooly gazing at Nodoka.

That statement gave Nodoka pause. "B-But my manly son must..."

"Enough with this human nonsense, onna! I want a complete report what led up to this situation. Now!" Vegeta barked, some of his ki leaking out which led to a visible dicharge similar to lightning bolts crawling over his visible skin, the display effectively shutting Ranma's mother up.

Piccolo nodded his assent. "Agreed. I'll bring you up to date."

A short burst of telepathy later Gohan and Vegeta had been caught up on the happenings, and both were staring incredulously at Nodoka. The Saiyan Prince shook his head. "There's no way I'm going to allow this idiocy. The brat has proven himself... herself... whatever, worthy; the brat is a Saiyan, even if not by birth, but he... she _is_ a Saiyan, and Saiyans don't care about gender. All we care about is that the Saiyan in question can fight. The brat has proven that she can, and that makes her my subject, and as such she's under my jurisdiction; no one can order her to her death but me. So sayeth the Saiyan Prince," he stated imperiously in that arrogant way he had perfected long ago.

Ranma ignored the last part of Vegeta's speech, and one look at her mother told her that Nodoka was taken aback. "Who are you to interfere with how I handle the upbringing of my child? Ranma is my son, I'm his mother and it's my right to judge him."

Vegeta fixed her with a cold stare and turned SSJ, the sudden energy output nearly knocking Nodoka on her butt. "I am Vegeta, human, the last Prince of the Saiyans and also the Prince of your brat..."

"Upbringing?" Ranma interrupted, steaming, her aura coming to life as it flared around her anew, the golden-haired man-turned-woman almost snarling in rage, "Right to judge?"

Vegeta, for once not annoyed at being interrupted due to the fact that it was Ranma's_right _to voice her thoughts, crossed his arms and limited himself to observing. He, like the others, shivered a bit as an intense feeling of coldness swept over them as Ranma employed the Soul of Ice to rein in her raging emotions, and the Saiyan Prince was impressed at the maturity his 'subject' showed. One look in her pupilless teal eyes however revealed that while controlled the anger was bubbling directly beneath the surface, and a minute flash in Ranma's eyes was all the warning Nodoka got before her son-turned daughter continued to lay into her.

"You lost the right to judge me when you sent me away on that training trip, 'mother'. As for being my mother, if you think you have the right to play mother after ten years of absence then you're dead wrong.

"No," Ranma growled, flaring her aura even more as her mother wanted to interrupt, "_I_ talk and you'll listen, regardless if that's disobedient, 'unmanly' or anything else of me or not. Frankly I don't give a shit at the moment," she growled and breathed deeply. "Let's cover the mother bit first, shall we.

"So you think 'cause you're my mother you have the right to 'judge' me… by birth, you may be my mother, yeah. But what you forget, motherhood is about much more than just giving birth."

Her gaze turned hard. "Where were you when I'd have needed you in my childhood? When I cried myself to sleep 'cause of the various pains I endured from training? When I would've needed someone to comfort me, to tell them that they loved me, or when I asked myself _if_ my mother loves me? If she even wants me?"

Nodoka uttered a protesting but, yet Ranma stopped her by holding up a hand, "Facts are facts. You weren't there for me in ten years. Then I come back, find out you're alive, and imagine my joy when I find out you 'n' pops made that 'nice' contract with by now well-known terms. So what_am_ I to think? 'T all makes me feel soooo wanted, 'mother'," she concluded coldly, her tone causing Nodoka to flinch slightly.

"Ranma's right to voice this," said Kasumi, butting in before either Ranma or her mother could develop more steam. "Normally I'm not that impolite, but I love Ranma very much, and I won't stand it. Nodoka-san, even the lowest life-forms on the planet can procreate, yet that doesn't say anything about their ability as a parent.

"No, being a mother is about caring for your child, protecting and rearing it, and most of all, loving him or her unconditionally. I've practically raised my sisters, I know what I'm talking about," she said seriously, and Ranma smiled brilliantly at her, blowing the oldest Tendo daughter a kiss.

Nabiki nodded. "What my sis said. Nodoka-san, just out of interest, what would you've done had Ranma somewhere along the way decided she was unhappy being a boy and had gotten a sex-change via the traditional way? Would you've ordered her to take her own life as well? Your only child?" she queried, curiosity glinting in her impassive eyes.

Nodoka was visible thrown for a loop having her beliefs questioned so thoroughly. "I-I'm not sure," she finally admitted.

**'There seems to be some sense in her at least,'** Nabiki thought, "Good. I want to marry Ranma one day, and frankly I don't care if he's unmanly at the moment seeing as it's all just temporary after all. And anyway, it shouldn't matter to you either, Nodoka-san. It's only a body Ranma wears, and while her male form made it easy to fall in love it's hardly why I fell in love.

"Yet the only thing_you_ seem to care about is how manly Ranma is. Why should it matter? Why can't you accept the situation as is?" she asked. "I know I do, and I'm absolutely sure that Ranma will prove what a stud he is in no time," she concluded with a smile at Ranma, who smiled right back.

Ranma then switched her attention back to her mother, her before caring expression changing to arctic. "I don't understand it. My mother comes searching for me after ten years, apparently with some 'interesting' expectations', and once she finds out that I had become 'unmanly' she wants to throw me away. Why?"

"But I-I only wanted..." Nodoka began.

"A manly man, yeah, yeah, yadda yadda, I think we got it," Ranma growled, her teal eyes flashing in annoyance; Vegeta on his part was ready to enjoy the show that was about to ensue, seeing as the golden haired girl was developing a full head of steam. "But you know what? I never_want_ to meet your criteria for a manly man, for I won't fuck around and destroy some poor girls' honour just so you can have your 'manly' son. I have more honour than that!"

"Yes," Gohan agreed, "Ranma has proven that he... she... whatever is honourable beyond a doubt. I can't see the logic in your concept for a man among men as per your definition anyway, for its application would damage the honour of many, Ranma's first and foremost.

"Not to mention, the contract you fall back on is invalid in all of Japan—not to mention the world—, so forcing Ranma's out. Not that we'd ever let you anyway," he concluded, his teal eyes hard.

"No way," all three Tendo sisters exclaimed defiantly, exchanging grins after they had uttered the same thing at the same time.

Nodoka was flabbergasted. That was not going as she had expected, not at all. "B-But..."

Ranma looked at them with a smile and ignored her mother completely for the moment. "Thanks, you three. That means a lot."

"You're welcome," the three sisters replied, each sporting smiles.

The youngest Tendo on her part walked up to Ranma, an embarrassed look on her face. "I know this may not be the right time, Ranma, but I wanted to say sorry. I fell back into my old patterns and overreacted, and I promise that I'll work hard that something like that won't happen again. I know that you're no pervert, and I apologise for treating you unjustly."

Akane's sudden and honest apology did the trick in bringing Ranma's still surging temper under control, and the now redheaded girl smiled a real smile. "Forgiven, Akane. Still friends?"

"Still friends," the blue-haired girl exclaimed with a smile, hugging the taller girl. "Even if this is soooo weird."

"You're telling _me_? I really, really hope it's temporary..." Ranma grumbled.

"Temporary?" Nodoka asked, regaining her wind. "You mean you aren't a girl for good?"

Ranma rolled her eyes. "No duh. If you had given any of us the opportunity we would've told you that Happosai used a dirty trick to curse me and lock me in this form. Not that it matters any, for your behaviour clued me in on how you would've treated me had I become a girl for good," she finished icily, her blue eyes drilling holes into her mother.

Nodoka flinched, then tentatively asked, "So there _is_ a way to remedy this?"

Ranma growled, her eyes flashing teal as she stared at her mother. "Yes. I just have to find a long lost artefact and unlock the curse before a certain amount of time, no big deal," she said sarcastically.

"Oh!" Nodoka exclaimed. "Then you _must_ go and find it. It's the manly thing to do."

Her son turned daughter slapped her forehead. "Would you cut it out? If I hear the word 'manly' one more time I'm really gonna lose it," she snarled.

**'THIS IS A BROADCAST TO ANYONE WHO CAN HEAR ME, GARLIC JUNIOR HAS ESCAPED FROM HIS PRISON AND IS STRONGER THAN EVER! EVERY Z-FIGHTER, ASSEMBLE AT THE LOOKOUT IMMEDIATELY!'** Dende sent.

"Just great!" Gohan grumbled. "Here I was looking forward to spending some quality time with Videl…"

"You can satisfy your onna later, brat. There's nothing like good foreplay, and a good battle beforehand can serve as such excellently… what more could a Saiyan ask for?" Vegeta mused with a smirk that made every female—except Ranma—blush.

Gohan shook his head. "You really have a dirty mind, Vegeta. You coming, Ranma?"

The redhead shook her head. "As much as I'd want to cave some skulls in to relieve my frustrations," she shot Nodoka a meaningful look, "I can't. I have under a month to find this Kaisufu thing, and haven't got a single trail yet. To be honest, I had hoped that you guys would be able to help me, but now…"

"Yeah, I see. Sorry, I got no idea how long this will take. Garlic Junior is an old enemy of us, and the guy is immortal…" Gohan said with a shrug, "He had years and years to train in the Dead Zone, so he might just be a decent challenge."

"Well spoken, Kakabrat," Vegeta said approvingly, and Gohan minutely rolled his eyes before looking back at Ranma.

The said Super Saiyan narrowed her eyes. "Feh, sock him a good one for me, challenge or not. And even without you guys I'll find this Kaisufu in time, and even if not, I will find it and unlock myself, curse or no curse," Ranma stated defiantly.

"That's the spirit, brat. A Saiyan warrior adapts and can overcome anything if necessary, never forget that," Vegeta commented, floating upwards.

Gohan waved. "Keep us up to date, Ranma. Take care," he said as he floated upwards as well.

"Will do," Ranma said, waving back. "Have fun bashing heads in."

Both Vegeta and Gohan smirked, powered up to their respective max and sped away. Piccolo nodded once towards Ranma, fixed Nodoka with a penetrating stare that made the woman shiver and teleported away.

-.-

Ranma grumbled to herself as she walked towards the koi pond to gain some distance to her mother. "So thickheaded… I swear… If she uses the word 'manly' one more time I'm gonna explode…" she muttered and sat down Indian style at the koi pond's shore.

"There, there, Ranma," Nabiki chuckled while walking towards her, "things won't get better if you explode. Better focus your anger and channel it to achieve something useful," she suggested and sat down beside her fiancé, well within the redheads personal space.

Ranma didn't mind and leant into the younger of her fiancées. "What would you suggest, Nabs-chan? I've already used it to yell my mom in the face, and methinks she slowly understands that she can take her stupid contract and stuff it where the sun doesn't shine."

She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes as Nabiki began to stroke her hair, but even this tender loving care couldn't derail her from her angry train of thought. "Even if I should be too late in retrieving the Kaisufu 'cause I can't find it in time, there's no fucking way I'm gonna kill myself just 'cause a curse turns me into a girl."

"You're not bothered by it, Ranma?" Nabiki asked, surprised and stopped her ministrations to look at the boy-turned-girl to her right.

Ranma turned her head to meet the other girl's eye and fixed her with an intent look. "Sure am," she said with a grumble, "but you know what, I still got my powers and can do the Art, I can still fight to regain my manliness. Imagine how much worse it'd been had I been turned into a pig or something.

"Nope, being turned into a girl would've bothered me a great deal before I got turned into a Saiyan, but the change into one made me different, and not just physically. You know, it's as Vegeta said, I just adapt to new things and situations much better. True, I really want to return to my birthform as soon as possible for several reasons," here she smirked suggestively and gave Nabiki's thigh a squeeze, "but it wouldn't be disaster if the curse were for keeps seeing as I know I can adapt. Remember what the guide said?"

"Yes. That it'd still be you. And it's true…" Nabiki said in mesmerised wonder, trailing off as she scrutinised the beautiful redhead in front of her with Ranma staring back with equal intent. Both leant in at the same time and moments later their mouths were only inches apart...

"No, no, no!" Nodoka suddenly exclaimed from behind, destroying the moment. "It_would_ be disaster if you kept the curse! A girl can't be manly, so go and find that Kaisufu thing!"

Ranma opened her eyes, eyes that she had closed in anticipation of the kiss to come. She slowly opened them and saw the same anger and irritation in Nabiki's eyes she felt herself, and her eyes flashed as she turned her head towards the older woman. "You just interrupted something important..." she growled.

"Hell yeah," Nabiki grumbled in a tone that conveyed her utter annoyance, giving Nodoka a stare as she encircled the taller girl's waist.

"B-But you're both girls!" Nodoka exclaimed shocked as she caught on to just what she had interrupted; she had obviously just overheard their discussion from the door watched without watching them.

"And?" Ranma asked with a half-lidded stare, with Nabiki giving a shrug. "I'm a boy inside, regardless of how I look. If I want to kiss one of my fiancées I do. Period."

The redhead leaned forward slowly but determinedly and finally met Nabiki's lips, dropping a scorching kiss on them to which Nabiki responded in kind. Ranma ceased the passionate kiss long moments later, and her defiant eyes met those of a shocked Nodoka.

"Oh my... I never in all my years... So improper... Unmanly..." Nodoka mumbled with wide eyes.

Ranma narrowed her eyes, but it was a smirking Nabiki that answered. "On the contrary. _I_found it _very _manly. You fail to understand that Ranma is Ranma, regardless of the form. And my Ranma is all stud," she purred.

Nodoka shook her head in an unforgiving way. "That doesn't change that this isn't right. Two girls can't be manly."

The neutral expression Nabiki had pasted on her face as soon as Nodoka has begun to speak dropped off in favour of a displeased scowl. "So you say that we can't express our feelings just because Ranma and I happen to be of the same gender for the time being?" she said in a tone that communicated her displeasure. "I don't think so."

Ranma smiled at her fiancée. "So you want more, eh?" she teased, smiling. "Can do.

"As for you," the redhead turned to her mother, her face acquiring a fierce scowl, "if you think a mother I haven't seen in over ten years, a mother who just treated me like trash can dictate my love life you've got another thing coming."

Her eyes turned hard. "In the past I might've done anything to have you in my life, you, the mother I hadn't seen in over ten years. I would've fought tooth and nail to gain your love and approval, but I don't need it any more. You know why?" the redhead asked.

Nodoka, whose expression had changed from sternness to shock slowly shook her head, disbelief written on her face. "No," was her monosyllabic reply.

Ranma smiled as she interlaced the fingers of her right hand with those of Nabiki's right which still encircled her waist. "Because I've found love. I don't need to fight for the love of a mother who agreed to an idiotic and obscene contract," her smile grew grimmer, "or for the love of a mother who sets insane standards she expects me to meet. You must understand one thing, 'mother', I'll do what's necessary should you force my hand, consequences be damned."

"Don't you have any honour? You agreed to being manly!" Nodoka insisted with a deep frown on her face.

That was when Ranma had had enough, ultimately. Her aura flaring she marched towards her mother, anger flashing in her teal eyes. "You and your fuckin' manliness… I've had it! _We_ gotta talk. Now. And this time you _will_ listen," the redhead promised as she dragged her futilely protesting mother towards the house.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled at Nabiki. "We'll continue this later."

Nabiki grinned. "I'll take you up on the offer, stud," she replied, her eyes glittering with something that Ranma couldn't define.

Giving up on trying to discern the meaning of that look she just blew her fiancée a kiss, and the door closed seconds later behind the Saotome women with a snap; loud noises emanated from within the house not much later, and that they could be heard even outside conveyed just how angry Ranma was. Nabiki chuckled. One should never piss off a Saiyan.

-.-

**One hour later...**

Ranma had not killed her mother, as the Tendo sisters had feared, but she had been close to losing her temper many times. The boy-turned-girl had made certain right from the start that her mother understood perfectly just how intelligent she was, and that it would be child's play for her to achieve the status of an emancipated minor with all following steps, e.g. renunciation of the Saotome name and so on.

She had even threatened that she'd disappear out of Nodoka's life for good, regardless of the cost, and that with much more force than before. She had added that she had nothing to lose, seeing that an enforcal of the contract would give her all the justification to implement her plans. That didn't mean that an adopted Son couldn't court Nabiki and Kasumi, just the joining of the schools wouldn't take place, ever, seeing that any contract made by a Saotome would be oh so easy to topple in case the suicide-contract went to court. What a pity. And whoops, no Saotome offspring, ever. Oh my.

This bluntness employed by Ranma had turned out to be the right medicine, for the Saotome matriarch had slowly but surely caved in and had listened to reason beyond her fantasy world that she had constructed to compensate for the absence of her loved ones. The redhead had felt pity for her mother when Nodoka had finally broken down crying, especially when her sobbing mother had told her that she had had nothing else but the contract to focus on in all this time, which had culminated therein that she had begun to see the contract as a surrogate for her family; in the end it had become more important than the lives of her loved ones, and that was something that Ranma just hadn't been able to understand.

Ranma had known that she hadn't cracked her mother's shell at this point, that she hadn't been allowed to give in, and internally she had hated herself for hurting a woman who might not have been and still wasn't a real mother to her, but she had not been able to deny that she still felt a connection to Nodoka, and inwardly Ranma had hoped that her estranged mother might just be the one to fill the empty spot in her heart that her father alone hadn't been able to fill. Once she stopped acting like a loon, that is.

The redhead had then laid down the realities very bluntly for this exact reason, to gauge if Nodoka Saotome could change; and it had turned out that there was reason for hope. But it had only been due to her bluntness that Ranma had been able to make her mother understand that her behaviour had very nearly driven an irreparable wedge between them, which had made Nodoka cry even harder when she had finally grasped this; there and then Ranma hadn't been able to hold on to her own anger any longer and had internally called the bluff off. Cursing her own forgiving nature she had hugged her mother, and even though she'd never ever admit it to anyone, her own tears had intermixed with those of her mother as she too had cried for ten years of separation. Afterwards Ranma had the certitude that her mother was on the right track to becoming her mother again; however, Ranma had made certain that Nodoka understood that she was still on probation.

The neo-girl was very satisfied with how things had turned out, all things considered. A disastrous day had ended well, it's conclusion having been the destruction of the contract at Nodoka's hand, which assured that her father was off the hook as well, something he'd surely appreciate. Now there was just the 'small' problem of getting the Kaisufu, but Ranma had a hunch that this would be anything but an easy task.

**to be continued**…

**  
**Thanks for reading.

**Many thanks to those of you who were kind enough to leave reviews for the last chapter(s): **

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**Some quick notes: **

I hadn't intended to give it away, but I feel that the reaction to the previous chapter makes it necessary. In a nutshell, some of you said the story suffered because I included female Ranma.

I disagree. I had reasons beyond including Ranma-chan just for the fun of it. The main reason—aside from including the Nodoka and Herb arcs—is the impending LSSJ transformation. I'm pretty sure most of you remember that the power granted by becoming a LSSJ drove every single predecessor of Ranma either insane or led to self-destruction, which usually took out a good-sized part of the planet, if not the whole planet.

I was then faced with the problem of finding a way to have Ranma survive the ascension without losing his mind, and came up with the following: what if the trigger for the LSSJ not being able to control the enormous power — that being the over-abundance of aggression due to the massive amounts of testosterone running rampant in a LSSJ (the trigger) — was to be temporarily removed until Ranma could control the transformation safely regardless of the form? See my point?

Beside that, there are many intricacies of the LSSJ transformation and the spirits of Jusenkyo I'm not willing to reveal just yet. Rest assured, I've got it planned out. Don't I always:)

- Nodoka's behaviour: I firmly believe that Nodoka would've gone through with the contract and demanded Ranma commit seppukku had she found canon-Ranma wanting, which is why I had her—Nodoka—act the way she did. Reasons? Just one, but it's sufficient in my opinion: it was clearly shown in Vol. 22 that family honour and honour in general meant everything to her, even more so than Ranma's life. Later Volumes just affirmed it.

- Ranma's behaviour: while it's true that canon-Ranma would've bent over backwards to please Nodoka and gain her love and affection this Ranma's different. He has Nabiki's and Kasumi's love and has in them two women who'll stand by him regardless what; needless to say, Nodoka had 'lost' right from the start with the way she acted.

- Reconciliation vs. cutting ties: Ranma could've cut all ties to Nodoka, easily so, and I played around with that scenario for a long time. In the end I decided against it simply for the reason that Ranma isn't deliberately cruel. And kicking Nodoka out of his life after setting her straight would've been that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: A Legend Reborn sidestory

**Author name**: Trugeta

**  
Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ as well as Akira Toriyama and many others. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Note further that I don't own any of the trademarks mentioned in this story.

Also, the OCs used in this story are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is not intended and purely coincidental.

This story takes place after Movie 10 of Dragonball Z and at the beginning of the Ranma series. It's an AU, and reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**  
--**

**Chapter 04**

It had been an eternity, or so it seemed to one Ryoga Hibiki. But now he had finally, finally found familiar surroundings, even if they consisted of the damaged school-building of Furinkan High, and he was glad. The only thing putting him off for a moment was the fact that the sun had already risen in Nerima in contrast to from whence he'd just crossed over, but his frown disappeared quickly as his joy won out.

"Hah, I made it back." he grinned to himself. "Now I just gotta to find the Tendo Dojo. Heh, hot bath and meal, here I come!"

The lost boy had rued his decision to take another, unscheduled day of training in his birthform dearly, for it seemed as if the kami had it in for him and liked to fool around with his family curse. As soon as he'd wanted to take a break from training to get something to drink his curse had kicked in and he'd found himself in an unfamiliar place, far, far away.

The worst was, he hadn't even had the option to change to his cursed form, for A) he had no idea where he was which meant he needed to stay in his birthform in order to have a chance that his curse led him back to Nerima, and B) he hadn't learned how to fly yet in either form. It had approximately taken six days, but now he was back. And boy, was he tired and hungry!

"AAAAAAHHHH!" a female voice exclaimed, shooting his plans of getting back to the dojo out of the window, seeing that the girl sounded extremely distressed.

Ryoga rounded the corner, and for once his curse led him true, and what he saw made his blood boil. "You!" he yelled at the strange looking man, who was happily fondling a struggling young brunette, "Let go of her or else!"

"This is the first time I see a woman. You are a woman, no?" the tiger-striped boy asked the girl he was fondling, causing her to scream in indignance. Then he looked at Ryoga. "You're no woman. You're interrupting!" he exclaimed and dropped the baffled girl to the ground before leaping at Ryoga with surprising speed.

Ryoga barely had the time to raise his arms in an x-block as he was already hit by an earth-shattering blow. **'Damn, that guy is strong! Even stronger than I am! Gotta change somehow...'**

He had barely finished the thought when his opponent managed to connect a blow to the stomach, and Ryoga saw stars from the punch he hadn't even seen. The lost boy had no chance to block the next attack, a crushing double-fisted blow to the back; this one sent him face-first into the pavement, and the bandanna-clad martial artist had no way to resist the darkness that encompassed him, and soon he knew no more.

-.-

Ryoga awoke to a screaming headache an indeterminate amount of time later, and he barely managed to count his blessings. One, he was conscious again. Two, he was alive. Three... well, he couldn't really think beyond two at the moment, seeing that someone seemed to have filled his head with cotton. He had just sat up when a sudden downpour occurred, changing him into a her. "Why not ten minutes earlier?" the raven-haired girl complained with a roll of her eyes as she adjusted her bandanna.

"Meh, better late than never." she muttered with a scowl as she set herself in motion with destination Tendo dojo, now greatly aided by her perfect sense of direction.

She completely ignored the lewd looks of the local boys as she ran towards the dojo at high speed, and due to the fact that she added more and more ki to her speed she didn't even need five minutes to reach her destination. Jumping over the wall she entered the compound, and stopped dead at hearing unfamiliar female voices.

"I know the Amazons are hiding something, mom. Betcha this is their way of paying me back, the petty bitches." a girl grumbled.

"Dear, what have I told you about speaking properly?" another woman asked.

The younger female sighed. "That even a young man has to speak properly. And normally I do, but it's true, mom. I bet they have a lead to the Kaisufu, but they want to see me suffer for standing up to them. Sore losers, the bitchy bunch of them."

Something about the speech patterns of the younger woman made the hairs on Ryo-chan's neck stand up. They were so eerily familiar...

Shaking her head Ryo-chan knocked on the door. It would be too rude to just barge into the garden to satisfy her curiosity, even if a part of her would have preferred this solution; Kasumi opened the door a few seconds later, and the older girl smiled at seeing her. "Why hello Ryo-chan! Come right in, you look hungry."

Ryo-chan smiled sheepishly, seeing that her stomach had just grumbled very audibly. "Yes, I am. Could you do me a favour and fetch Ranma? I just had a very strange encounter."

"Of course. There's some beef stroganoff, rice and miso soup on the oven. Help yourself, you know your way around here." Kasumi said with a smile as she walked out of the room.

Ryo-chan nodded and hid her surprise as she walked towards the kitchen; something had changed in Kasumi during her absence, this young woman was much more outgoing and confident than the Kasumi she remembered. All in all a good thing in her opinion, yet she wondered what exactly had happened during her absence.

Coming to a stop in front of the oven she helped herself to a generous helping, putting the questions she had into the back of her mind in favour of food. Ryo-chan walked into the living room, placed her plate on the table and plopped down onto one of the low cushions with a satisfied grin on her face courtesy of the heavenly smelling food. She had just begun an exercise in speed-eating when an unfamiliar redheaded young woman walked in, followed by an older woman with auburn hair who bore a strong resemblance to the younger redhead.

Kasumi smiled at the two women. "I'll return to training with my sisters. Until later." she said and winked at the younger redhead.

"Yes, till later, Kasumi." replied the unfamiliar girl with a smile and a wink of her own, and the older woman bowed towards the oldest Tendo daughter.

"Mom, this is Ryoga, or Ryo-chan how we call her in this form." the redhead said to the older woman once Kasumi had departed, totally baffling the raven-haired girl. "Hey buddy."

"Hello, Miss Hibiki. It's a pleasure to meet you. Oh my, how rude of me, I'm Nodoka Saotome, Ranma's mother. Yoo don't mind me calling you Miss Hibiki, do you? I find it more proper to use the correct gender-suffix."

Ryo-chan stared at the Saotome-matriarch in incomprehension. "W-What?"

"Mooom!" the redhead exclaimed, tapping her foot. "Do you mind not bowling my friends over verbally?"

That threw Ryo-chan even more for a loop. "M-Mom?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Ranma was an only child, unless..."

"No, I didn't have any children after Ranma." Nodoka clarified, and Ryo-chan could have sworn she'd seen sadness flicker up in the older woman's eyes. "My husband's long absence made this a sad fact."

"Then..." Ryo-chan began, "That... That means... no, it can't be! But your eyes... I'd recognise them everywhere! _Ranma_?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. Thought I'd join the club." the redhead replied dryly.

Ryo-chan looked at her in utter astonishment. Shaking her head in disbelief the bandanna-clad girl got up and surveyed Ranma from every possible angle. "Damn, you clean up good as a girl, Ranma. Betcha the boys got on your nerves but good, eh?"

"You've got no idea, pal. Or maybe you do." Ranma conceded with a lop-sided grin.

"Oh yeah, I do indeed." Ryo-chan growled darkly, muttering about perverted boys and their ecchi fantasies. "But how did that," she pointed at Ranma-chan, "happen?"

Now it was Ranma's turn to growl. The redhead walked over to what she considered her cushion and plopped down, Ryo-chan and Nodoka doing the same as she reclaimed her seat. Once comfortably seated Ranma launched herself into the story how Happosai, the grandmaster and founder of the Anything Goes had appeared, how she, albeit a he at that time had defeated him and how he'd taken his revenge.

Ryo-chan was baffled when Ranma had concluded her summary of the happenings. "He did _that_ to you? I hope you've good plans for revenge, Ranma!" she growled, a dark look in her eyes.

The redhead smirked evilly. "Believe me, I do. Merely beating the old lech within an inch of his worthless life isn't enough. He shall pay, and he will." she said, the maniacal gleam in her eyes increasing to an almost insane glint.

Ryo-chan nodded her head in satisfaction. Revenge was a dish best served cold, and taking Ranma's mood towards this Happosai and the threat he posed to her as well into account it it couldn't be cold enough. "Good. Say, and when did your mother appear?"

Nodoka placed the cup of tea she'd been sipping from on the table. "Tell her the whole story. There's no need to spare my feelings considering how foolish I've been."

Ranma nodded at her mother and gave her a small smile. The long and intense talk they'd had last night after their initial talk-if it could be called that-had done wonders, for both of them. Turning her head towards her friend she pasted a neutral expression on her face and launched herself into an explanation how her mother had appeared at the Tendo home, how her father – who'd yet to return from his excursio perpotationis – had explained the consequences of Ranma having been turned into a her due to Happosai, and what it meant in context to the seppuku-pledge.

Ryo-chan's eyes nearly bugged out when Ranma had finished telling her story. "Damn, your life never gets boring, huh?"

Ranma nodded, a lopsided and somewhat tired grin playing on her face. "No shit, buddy." she agreed, and her mother sent her a disapproving look which the redhead commented with a shrug. "You've no idea how glad I was that the girls stood by me, especially Kasumi and Nabiki."

Nodoka smiled. "A pair of very brave fiancées you've got there, dear. They've managed to impress me verily. But had it not been for the talk you subjected me to, I might still follow the wrong path."

"F-Fiancées? As in... plural?" a baffled Ryo-chan asked disbelievingly, her eyes wide. "How in the world did that happen?"

"Just a sec, Ryo," Ranma said somewhat distractedly as she focussed her attention on her mother, her face completely serious, "mom, you know what I'd have done had you insisted on that blasted contract. I meant what I said."

Nodoka sighed and bowed her head. "I know, dear. I could see it in your eyes.

"That was what woke me up. I hadn't seen you in ten years and the contract became a surrogate for you, one to which I clung with all my might. I forgot that _you_ are more important than anything else, but that is, as we both agreed upon, water under the bridge. Regardless if you find this Kaisufu in time or not, you'll always be my child, and I love you. Something like that stupid contract will never stand between us again. Nothing will."

Ranma smiled, glad that her reading her mother the riot act had woken her up to reality. "I love you too, mom. You know what, I know I'd have taken this turning into a girl much harder had I still been human. It would've been hell had you steadily harped on me about being manly, and I thank Kami-sama for my short fuse. Hadn't I gained a Saiyan's temper things might have gone very differently." she mused introspectively, to which both Ryo-chan and her mother gave thoughtful nods.

"Though I wonder, did it take you long to get used to the curse, Ryoga?" Ranma queried, looking back at her friend.

"Excuse me if I interrupt, Ranma, I'd like to watch the girls train. Maybe it's possible to include Kendo into the training schedule. Unarmed combat _is_ important, yet next to no one expects a weapons-user to be proficient at it, which can be a huge advantage. Until later, you two." Nodoka said and walked out of the room.

"Later, mom." the redhead replied and gave Nodoka a small smile. "Anyway, _did_ it take you long to get used to the curse?"

"First you tell me what that was about fiancées, Ranma." Ryo-chan said, crossing her arms under her chest. "Spill. Now."

Ranma smiled and folded her hands behind her head as she leant back. "Sure. You see, Kasumi became engaged to me after the fight with the old perv 'cause she asked to, and I agreed 'cause I like her. Very much so.

"Yet I also like Nabiki just as much, and thus she became my fiancée as well. To be honest, I've no idea whom to choose, and I'm glad that I've round about a year to do so." the redhead said with a sigh.

The bandanna-clad girl whistled lowly. "Damn, I don't wanna be in your shoes. Regardless whom you choose, there'll always be a broken heart. This shucks."

"Yeah. I really wish I didn't have to choose between two such great girls, but it'll come to that, eventually." Ranma replied with an even deeper sigh.

"You know, I'm really glad that I have to focus on other problems at the moment, like getting the Kaisufu. The curse itself wouldn't be so bad, I mean there're curses a lot worse, but I dunno how the girls would cope with it. It would be better to get the lock off before the deadline."

"Deadline? Oh, you mean the... what? Four days now? Not much time." Ryo-chan commented. "As for the curse, it ain't so bad. You said it, there're curses much worse, and after a time you really get used to it.

"And I can assure you, I'm all man in my birthform, though with the cursed form the lines begin to blur. You don't strictly think of yourself as a man anymore when you're in it, cause you're undeniably female. You're both, you know. But had it not been for the powers this body offers, I'd have had a much harder time getting used to it."

Ranma nodded. "I know what you mean, pal. Had this curse turned me into a human female I'd have screamed bloody murder. One really gets used to these powers, this feeling of strength. And it isn't a cheap power-up or cheating, for we still gotta train to improve."

Suddenly she grinned. "I'm really looking forward to a rematch with Vegeta. I'm sure you remember him." she said dryly, and Ryo-chan nodded darkly; she still didn't like the arrogant prince. "Well, we had a fight some time back, right after you disappeared on us, and he whooped my ass pretty bad. But now that I'm a SSJ too..."

Ryo-chan nodded. "Kick his ass but good. Arrogant bastich needs to be taken down a peg or two."

"True. He ain't too bad, pretty darn good fighter and all, but you got it, he's too damn arrogant. Dunno if I could beat him yet, but once I reach the level Gohan is at..." Ranma said speculatively, a small upturning the corners of her mouth.

"There're more SSJ-levels?" Ryo-chan asked excited, her dark eyes glinting.

Ranma could tell from the gleam in the other girls eyes that she'd found a very serious sparring partner. "Oh yes. Gohan is able to reach a second level, and he used it to kick my ass pretty badly. It's a lot more powerful than the first and doesn't just look really impressive." she explained, rubbing the back of her head as she remembered the trashing she'd gotten.

One could practically see Ryo-chan drool. **'Hook, line and sinker. But first things first. I gotta get my hands on the Kaisufu so that I can return to my birthform, after that I can train and spar all I want...'**

"Ryo, you said you had a strange encounter. So what did happen?" Ranma inquired curiously as she leant forward and placed her hands on her thighs, giving her friend her full attention.

The raven-haired girl slapped her head. "Damn, what with being hungry and the other things I completely forgot. I got beat down, Ranma, or at least my birthform did. I had just returned to Nerima after seemingly endless days, and first thing I heard was a girl screaming for help. So I charged in and confronted the guy who molested the girl, like any good martial artist would. But the attacker... he was not normal, Ranma.

"His eyes, I've never seen something so... strange." she said after taking a breath. "Ours _are_ strange when we transform, but his... they were like an animals, like a tiger's eyes. And I swear he was just as strong. He pounced on me for interrupting, and swiped away my defences like nothing. I tried to find a way to change, but he got me with two blows. When I came to, he and the girl were gone. His strength... it wasn't human, Ranma."

"Damn." commented Ranma-chan. "This guy has gotta be monstrously strong if he can take you out like that. Your birthform is nothing to laugh at after all. Meh, I bet all trails will lead us to the Cat Cafe, cause the old ghoul has behaved mysteriously lately; as if she's expecting someone or something. Oh, you don't know, the Cat Cafe is the Amazon hideout which they conjured up out of nothing in a day." she explained at seeing her friends' look. "Come, we'll go investigate."

-.-

**Ten minutes earlier**

Warrior Xian-Pu of the Joketsozoku was elated. Her great-grandmother had given her the afternoon off, even if the reasons were a bit strange; ever since when did they fear men? It didn't make sense. But it meant that she didn't have to serve those fat and repulsive outsiders who leered at her like she was a piece of meat any more, and that was always good.

How she, an Amazon warrior with 3,000 years of proud history, had ended up as a waitress and bike courier she still couldn't reciprocate. Her hibachan had tried to explain the situation, had said that the stupid Japanese bureaus didn't have any folders 'Won Japanese husband, requesting immediate shipment to China' which meant they'd to make allowances.

Thus her hibachan had to open up a Chinese restaurant as cover, so that they could accomplish their mission of snatching her airen. For the time being her hibachan let her airen stew in his own juice; her great-grandmother knew how her airen had been turned into a woman, and also knew how to undo it. But she wouldn't tell him until he begged, and this time would arrive soon, she was sure. In hibachan's estimation Ranma had four days left to find the Kaisufu, and time was getting scarce. Excellent blackmail material, that.

She was just thinking about the wedding night she would have with her strong, sexy airen after he had given in to their demands and restored his manhood, when a sound behind her let her whirl around.

"Shampoo!" exclaimed an annoying voice from behind her.

"Mousse..." she growled, her mood darkening more and more from second to second.

"If you were free go on a date with me I'd be the happiest man alive." Mousse stated hopefully.

Shampoo looked at Mousse, and was not amused by his antics. The vain fool refused to wear his glasses (again!), and was talking to her bike. "Where are you looking?" she inquired scornfully.

Mousse continued in his actions unabated, and fondled the wheel of her bike lovingly. "Perfectly shaped..." he sighed dreamily.

"How long are you going to be feeble-minded, stupid Mousse? All your life?" Shampoo asked with a shake of her head.

Suddenly a sound from another direction placed her on high alert. Her trained warrior-reflexes let her look up onto the wall, and her gaze fell upon a young boy. Or that was what he seemed to be at first look, but her senses told her that he was much more. Something powerful, something animalistic, but not in the positive sense. "Who are you?" she inquired cautiously, switching into a defensive stance.

The mysterious figure, a boy of about thirteen, looked intently at Shampoo. "You're a woman, aren't you?"

Shampoo just stared at him incredulously. What was that for a question? Wasn't it obvious that she was the most womanly warrior maiden far and wide?

The boy took her silence as confirmation. "This is the first time I've ever had a conversation with a woman." he enthused.

"Huh?" Mousse asked, confused.

Shampoo eyed the boy critically. "Young, aren't you."

The boy whipped out a mallet. "Um, if it's all right, please go on a date with me." he said with a silly grin.

The Amazon girl raised a delicate brow. "What you're doing doesn't match what you're saying."

Mousse on his part had seen enough. No one asked his Shampoo out, and no one threatened her. "Hey, you." he snarled.

The boy switched his attention to Mousse. "Who are you?"

Mousse glared at him. "You're a hundred years too young to try going after Shampoo."

The strange boy glared right back. "Those who interfere..." he growled, and disappeared from sight, while Mousse had time to gasp "He disappeared!!" before the boy reappeared, shouting "Dog-Tooth Shooting-Star Bullets!!"

The projectiles flew at Mousse at a blinding speed, and the Amazon cursed that he had no chance to switch into his cursed form on such short a notice. He heard Shampoo exclaim "Mousse!" before he was hit by the projectiles and nailed to a convenient wall, and Shampoo's shout warmed his heart despite his misfortune of ending up like an oversized butterfly.

Sadly his raised spirits didn't help his physical situation any, seeing as he hung nailed to a wall, utterly beaten and without a way to transform. And what happened next confused the hell out of him. Instead of beginning a fight to the death Shampoo and this boy were... talking? It didn't make sense! Mousse thought frustrated as he had to watch them leave, perfectly casual and at ease. If only he could free himself, he would break the hold this upstart had on his Shampoo!

-.-

Ranma and Ryo-chan were walking towards their destination with looks of grim determination on their faces; both boy-turned-girls were so focussed that they even ignored the wolf-whistles they received from the local boys, something said boys would've been punished for severely under normal circumstances. All of a sudden Ranma came to a grinding stop, and Ryo-chan nearly collided with her.

"Huh? What?"

"Look at that over there. Ain't that someone we know?" Ranma asked with a smirk.

Ryo-chan followed Ranma's outstretched arm and smirked too. "If that ain't Mousse. Hey Mousse, fancy meeting you hanging around."

Mousse growled, and Ranma snickered. "Do you think he likes hanging from walls like an oversized butterfly?"

"Seems so. Must be an Amazon thing." Ryo-chan mused with a mock-contemplating expression on her face.

"At least I'm still a man, girlies. Bought any fancy dresses lately?" Mousse countered with a sneer.

Ranma sneered right back. "Nice try. But using jabs to my manhood or the present lack thereof won't work. I can still fight in this form, and that nearly as well as in my birthform; that's all that counts. I can still hand you your ass, monster-boy, even as a girl."

"The same goes for me. And now tell us what happened here or we'll leave you hanging." Ryo-chan said impatiently.

Mousse glared, but the Amazon boy knew all too well that he had no choice in the matter. Very reluctantly he described the happenings that had led up to his impromptu siesta at the wall, and both Saiyan girls couldn't hide their astonishment.

"You were beaten by a kid, you say?" Ranma asked incredulously.

Ryo-chan shook her head. "You're a pitiful wretch, aren't you."

Mousse glared. "What did you say?" he demanded angrily.

Ryo-chan glared right back. "You heard me."

The Amazon boy sighed. "You have no idea. The rascal's speed... wasn't human speed!! He defeated me in the blink of an eye, I literally hadn't even time to blink!"

"Being you sucks, monster-boy." Ranma commented snidely.

Mousse bristled. "Arrogant jerk! If I were free..."

"First of, it takes one to know one. Second, you let yourself be turned into an ugly monster out of blind, unrequited love. If that doesn't suck then I don't know what." Ranma retorted.

"How dare you, Saotome! You're just saying these things to steal my Shampoo! I..."

"We've got no time for this kindergarten. I have to pay a certain boy back, and I intend to pay with interest." Ryo-chan stated dangerously, cracking her knuckles.

Ranma looked sheepish and nodded. "You're right, buddy. Let's free that sorry excuse for a martial artist and be off."

"How dare you!" Mousse began to protest, only to swallow his words when yellow-green ki began to glow in Ranma's hand.

Instead of using it on Mousse how the Amazon had worried the redhead used it to flash-incinerate the teeth holding Mousse captive, and moments later the boy was free.

"No need to thank me. Come on." the redhead said and resumed her walk.

Mousse scowled. "That form suits you, Saotome, you arrogant bitch!"

Ranma glared over her shoulder, but Ryo-chan pushed her forward, shaking her head. "Just ignore him, harming him ain't a good idea as he might be able to help. Maybe Shampoo is really a captive, and Mousse can free her while we deal with whatever we find at the Cat Cafe."

Ranma nodded, catching on to Ryo-chan's plan. She'd wanted to present Mousse with an incentive to cooperate, and it seemed to work. Mousse literally ran ahead. "Shampoo my love, I'll free you!"

"Figure he's gonna see the wall?" Ryo-chan asked with an arched brow.

"2.000 Yen say he doesn't." Ranma smirked.

Ryo-chan shook her head. "Not a chance. The guy is hopeless."

THUNK!

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt." commented Ranma, grimacing slightly at the sight of the dishevelled and battered Mousse.

"Yea. Let's put him back on his feet. We've wasted enough time." Ryo-chan replied and set out to do so.

-.-

**Nekohanten, present time**

Shampoo and the strange young boy had reached the Nekohanten in the meantime, and the boy, who had introduced himself as Mint had just told her that he belonged to the group of guests her great-grandmother was expecting.

Shampoo smiled. "So you were our guests."

Mint nodded sheepishly, awed that a woman had smiled at him. "Eh, heh, heh, I and my friend... ah, Lime."

"Oh, Mint. I touched a woman." Lime enthused, grinning.

Cologne, who was currently perched on her staff inside the restaurant looked at a cloaked figure, a thoughtful expression on her face. "The Musk Dynasty... I thought it was destroyed a long time ago, but there were still survivors? Intriguing."

"I'm home, Great-Grandma." Shampoo exclaimed.

Mint on his part bowed towards the cloaked figure. "Herb."

"Let me go!" screamed the girl, that was still held by Lime.

Lime on his part just grinned. "Ahh, this time I want to try drinking tea with a woman!!"

Herb however looked sternly at the two young Musk. "Get ready, Lime, Mint. I've found out where the secret treasure is."

"Ehh, we're leaving already?" Mint complained, decidedly dejected.

"At least, tea..." Lime complained.

"It's an urgent journey. This kind of thing..." the cloaked figure indicated the young woman Lime was holding, "Throw it away and let us go!!" Herb exclaimed, looking at the girl in disgust.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" screamed the girl as she was thrown towards the entrance.

However, before she could get hurt she was unexpectedly caught by a tall redhead...

-.-

The girl, Yuka, how Ranma realised, looked at her with big, thankful eyes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, whoever you are!"

Ranma let her to the ground with a smile, then she turned her head and focussed her cold blue eyes on Cologne. "So that's the reason for your nervousness, old ghoul." she stated, crossing her arms under her chest. "Didn't think the oh so brave and mighty Joketsozoku would be afraid of kids, and 'mere males' to boot." she mocked.

Cologne didn't say a thing, but her look spoke volumes. The cloaked figure just surveyed her with a cold, bored look. "We're going, Lime, Mint." it said in a genderless voice.

Ranma focussed her attention on him, or rather her, how her senses told her. "Wait." she commanded.

Herb glanced at her like one would regard a bug. "What do you want?" she asked with contempt.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave. You see, how you treated this girl, a good friend of a very good friend of mine is abominable. And one of your stooges attacked my friend here." she said with a nod to Ryo-chan.

Lime looked baffled. "I attacked a woman?"

"So you see, we have some things to settle." Ranma said, cracking her knuckles.

Herb grinned under her hood. "Heh..."

"No, bridegroom, just that one, don't put a hand on!" Cologne exclaimed. "We don't want damaged goods."

Ranma turned to look at the Elder and favoured her with a burning glare. "Get this straight, old ghoul, I am not Shampoo's husband! Leave this path, or you won't like the results. And if you don't tell me soon where I can find the Kaisufu I'll have to get unpleasant." she promised, anger flashing in her eyes.

"Interesting..." Herb muttered, drawing her conclusions.

"Now back to you. I don't know what your fucking problem is, be it that you're on your monthlies or something else, but no one treats my friends this way!" Ranma stated coldly.

One could literally see how Herbs' face turned red from fury under the hood of her cloak. "Lowly commoner, how dare you! I would've spared you, but no one insults the Prince of the Musk and gets away with it!"

"What's it, _Princess_, can't take the truth? Is that why you run around in a cloak, so that no one realises you're a girl?" Ranma taunted.

"Goddess, no! What is the youngling doing?" Cologne lamented, sending prayers to her ancestors. ° _Mu-Tzu, Xian-Pu, retrieve your sisters from the training grounds in case we need to defend ourselves! Not even Mu Tzu's cursed form might be enough to ensure our safety, we need backup._ _Go! _° she commanded in a dialect she was sure Herb would not understand.

Mousse looked sour, for he'd loved to see Saotome get beaten into the ground. But the old mummy had the upper hand, and he knew it. ° _Yes, Elder._ ° he answered in the same dialect.

Shampoo threw one last look at her airen. ° _This one obeys, honoured Elder._ ° she stated, and moments later the two teens were gone.

-.-

Mint and Lime on their parts were confused by what they were hearing. "M-Master?"

One look at said Master conveyed that she was angry beyond reason. "I… didn't want to use this… as it is very strenuous… but you deserve punishment. Secret Art… Supreme Dragon Ascension!" Herb bellowed.

Immediately swirls of power appeared around the cloaked figure, and her cloak couldn't withstand the forces the Musk leader was exuding; mere seconds after the strange display had started it came off, and everyone stared.

"She was right!" Yuka exclaimed, "This cloaked figure really is a woman!"

"Herb…" Mint exclaimed, unsure of what else to say. Their master was a woman??

If she heard it, it only spurred her on further to complete the transformation into whatever she was becoming. Red waves of power rolled off of Herb, and Ranma was too spellbound by the spectacle to even think about transforming into a SSJ. Which turned out to be a costly mistake.

Suddenly, with a yell Herb finished the transformation, and in the next instant she had already buried her fist in Ranma's stomach. The force from the blow expelled the air from her lungs, making her gasp and sink to one knee. **'Damn, I didn't even see her move!'**

The next she felt was a sharp pain in the chin as the dragon-Princess caught her with a vicious hook that sent her crashing through several walls.

Inside the Nekohanten Ryo-chan was not faring much better, or rather Ryoga. Mint and Lime had executed what Herb had ordered, and a convenient pot of tea had changed her back into her birthform. The Musk duo kept him masterfully away from any cold fluids, and slowly but surely it began to look really bleak for him.

He had just dodged Mint's projectile-attack when Lime caught him with a vicious punch that sent him reeling; his disorientation cost him, for this time Mint's projectile attack hit its mark, nailing him to a wall. Ryoga had just the time to blink to clear his vision before a grinning Lime punched his lights out, sending him into the realm of unconsciousness for a second time this day.

The battle was not going much better for Ranma either. Herb hat not let up in the slightest and was pounding on her with a vengeance. The dragon-Princess' appearance had changed, and her increased height and more muscular built attributed to her increased strength; the green scales that shimmered on her skin gave her an even more exotic look than her slit pupils already had, but Ranma was in no position to appreciate the changes Herb had undergone.

Every time she wanted to transform Herb hit another vital spot, stealing away the concentration to do so; and she knew that she _had_ to transform, for her normal form was just no match for this changed Herb. Whatever she had done, it had transformed Herb into something very powerful; each hit the Princess scored felt like a twenty-ton hammer, and Ranma's endurance was running thin. In a desperate movement she tried to transform in mid-flight as she was sailing backwards for yet another wall after yet another crushing blow, but Herb overtook her, waited in front of the wall and hammered her into the ground with a double-fisted axe-blow.

Ranma saw stars, and a part of her knew that she was helpless, at least for a few seconds. In these moments she felt something arise within her, something wild, uncontrolled and violent. Something immensely powerful. However, before she could unleash it she felt another blow, this time to the temple, and this one stole her consciousness completely.

-.-

Herb stood over the defeated and half-unconscious Ranma, a sneer on her face. "Now to end this..."

"Master Herb! Don't!" Lime exclaimed as he rushed in front of his master-turned-mistress.

"Snap out of it, Master!" Mint added, following Lime on his heels. "Think about the mission! You said we had to leave now!"

"The Kaisufu..." Herb muttered, the scales disappearing, "oh yes, this would be perfect. Leaving the boy as a girl forever..." she said with a nasty grin.

"What do you mean, master?" Mint asked. "Isn't that a woman?"

"No, my faithful servant, this is a Jusenkyo cursed person. The flavour of the curse is different, but this is no original woman." Herb said, her grin growing bigger. "Wouldn't it be poetic justice if I got the Kaisufu, returning it to our rightful possession and me to my male form, leaving this annoying commoner as a woman forever? It would be a fitting punishment indeed. Yes, I'll make it so."

"Goddamn, what hit me?" groaned Ranma, who slowly came around.

Herb glared at her, crossing her arms under her breast in an arrogant demeanour. "Consider yourself lucky I spared your life."

She then swivelled her head to look at her subordinates, ignoring the angry muttering of Ranma. "Let's go, Lime, Mint. The Kaisufu is waiting." she said with a cruel smirk.

"Yes, master." both Musk boys answered in unison and followed their leader on the heel.

Ranma groaned and propped herself up on her elbows. "W-Wait, the duel's still not..."

Herb simply laughed and walked away, not even bothering to look at the defeated Ranma. "I'll think of you when I hold the Kaisufu in my hands, you little pest. You'll be a woman forever..."

**to be continued**…

_Following canon to quite an extent here, but it couldn't be helped. Herb's transformation is pretty believeable if one factors in his/her heritage, and I simply liked the image of a dragonlady Herbie-chan. Not much to add, so cheerio._


End file.
